The Judicial Services Commission chaired by Chief Justice Salesi Temo, will have an emergency meeting today after the detention of Fijian national, Charlie Charters by FICAC from yesterday.
The JSC is the body that recommends the appointment, suspension or dismissal of the FICAC Commissioner to the President.
fijivillage News has asked all the JSC members if the Commission can confirm whether the JSC is looking into the matter of Charters held in immigration custody based on a FICAC flag on his file.
We have also asked why is there a FICAC flag, is this being done because he has been writing a lot of opinion pieces on FICAC, and who has given this directive and what will the JSC do if this is an abuse of power and fear tactic.
We have also asked what is the response of the JSC as many people are saying that this is an abuse of power.
Charlie Charters who is still being held at FICAC, has released a statement through his legal counsel, saying he will be questioned today after being held overnight at FICAC’s office in Suva.
Speaking through his lawyer, Sefron Fatiaki, Charters says he has been informed that he is being detained on suspicion of aiding and abetting a FICAC whistleblower under Section 45 of the Crimes Act 2009.
He says he has been told that the whistleblower is alleged to have breached Section 13G (Divulging Official Information) of the FICAC Act.
Charters says he wants to thank the three FICAC investigating officers with whom he is dealing.
He says they have been as professional, considerate and attentive as they can be in this situation.
Charters says at Nadi Airport yesterday afternoon, he was offered a “deal” that would have allowed him to continue on his flight to Sydney as planned but the terms of that deal were not acceptable to him or any right-thinking citizen.
He says as a result, he was arrested.
Charters says he and his family are grateful for the many good wishes and concerns for his welfare that they have received.
People continue to be concerned about Charters being taken in by FICAC and the reasons behind it.
They are also concerned about his health.
We have sent questions to Acting FICAC Commissioner, Lavi Rokoika, Immigration Minister, Viliame Naupoto and Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka.
Rabuka has told us to ask FICAC as they are independent and act independently.
FICAC has not said anything despite many requests.
Minister for Immigration, Viliame Naupoto says immigration is just being compliant to FICAC's alert and the subsequent stop departure and the case was handed over to Police.
We have sent questions to Police.
Charters is being questioned by FICAC this hour.
Stay with us for developments.
FMA raises serious concerns regarding Charters' arrest and Sports Council
By Vijay Narayan 22/02/2026
The Fiji Media Association is deeply concerned with today’s developments involving Charlie Charters, who was earlier stopped at Nadi International Airport and is now reported to be in the custody of the FICAC and brought to Suva.
The FMA is alarmed that the detainment and arrest look like the re-enactment of a scene from a dark past that we fought hard to be free from.
The FMA Executive Committee made up of the media editors of all mainstream media outlets, Communications Fiji Limited, The Fiji Times, Fiji Sun, FBC, Mai TV, Fiji TV, and Fiji Live, stresses that any detention or arrest by FICAC must be conducted strictly within the law, with due process observed at every step and clear public information provided to maintain confidence. The FMA urges the relevant authorities to confirm Charters’ current status (detained/arrested/charged/released), the agency responsible, and the next procedural steps, including court processes where applicable.
They are concerned with the potential threat to freedom of expression posed by the arrest, given Charters' outspoken posts and articles regarding FICAC and the Fiji Sports Council.
The FMA notes the Fiji Sports Council’s clarification that there was no directive to ban the media, and that journalists were turned away due to a miscommunication with security personnel.
However, it remains concerning that security officers reportedly told journalists from more than one media organisation that the “ban” was a directive from the CEO.
The media editors say the facilities are spaces where sporting events of community and national interest are held and it is in the interest of the public that journalists cover these events.
They say it is also beneficial for the sponsorhip of national sporting bodies and potential sports stars of the future that journalists are given free access to cover sporting events at the Sports Council facilities across the country.
The FMA urges the FSC to ensure media access and to ensure all venue security are properly briefed to prevent a repeat of today’s incident.
The FMA says it has fought for media freedom and freedom of expression in the country for too long and will not stand by to see these freedoms being denied or suppressed.
The FMA is alarmed and on alert as it sees risks and evidence of emerging threats to media freedom.
The FMA stands ready to engage constructively with all parties to protect media freedom, accountability, and the public’s right to know.
Please listen and protect whistleblowers - Vanessa Charters
By Vijay Narayan 23/02/2026
Vanessa Charters, wife of Charlie Charters
Please listen and protect the whistleblowers.
That is the message to the people of Fiji from Charlie Charters' wife, Vanessa Charters outside the FICAC office last night.
Charlie remains in FICAC custody and will be questioned again this morning.
His wife says she keeps getting messages from people telling her to be strong.
Vanessa Charters says this is not a time to be strong.
She says the problem with people is when they are trying to be strong, they don't listen, and they stop listening.
She says this is a time when we need to be vulnerable and be comfortable with being vulnerable, and if you are FICAC or Fiji, or any sort of organization, if you have a whistleblower who is telling you that something is deeply, deeply wrong, you must listen.
She says in life, if there's some little voice in your head that says, don't do that, it's not right, you have to listen, and in listening, you have to be comfortable with being vulnerable.
Charters says when we are vulnerable and we understand what it is that we are either doing wrong or we need to change, then in that state of vulnerability, we can grow, and we can get better.
Charters writes from FICAC custody on who benefits from his prosecution
By Vijay Narayan 23/02/2026
Fijian national, Charlie Charters says in a letter written from FICAC custody that he was approached by whistleblower(s) with the information that FICAC had hired the daughter of the Fiji Sports Council CEO – just days after FICAC had cleared the same CEO of converting a public sponsorship for private benefit.
The letter by Charters says at Nadi International Airport on Saturday, he was offered a deal – tell FICAC about the whistleblower(s) and he can get on his flight.
Charters says FICAC campaigns relentlessly for public and private bodies to set up whistleblower policies but FICAC itself has no such whistleblower pro policy.
He says FICAC acts like Moses on top of the mountain but they ain't Moses.
Charters asks who investigates the investigators and how can you expect Fiji to unsee things that are so obvious to see.
He says family and friends being preferred by a taxpayer-funded law enforcement agency with almost limitless powers to punish is wrong however they try to dress up the charges.
Charters asks who benefits from his prosecution.
Stay with us for developments.
Charters bailed and stop departure issued
By Vijay Narayan, Rashika Kumar 23/02/2026
Charlie Charters and Acting FICAC Commissioner Lavi Rokoika
Fijian and British national, Charlie Charters who has been charged with two counts of aiding and abetting under the Crimes Act by FICAC, is now released on bail.
Charters appeared before Magistrate Shageeth Somaratne this afternoon.
Charters was in FICAC custody since Saturday and was kept at the FICAC office in Suva since Saturday night.
He is being represented by Seforan Fatiaki, Wylie Clarke, Laurel Vaurasi, Richard Naidu, Gavin O'Driscoll and Subhash Parshotam.
FICAC lawyer Rusiate Doidoi asked for strict bail conditions including not to approach FICAC officials and restrictions on publishing material related to the case.
Charters' counsel Seforan Fatiaki asked for no bail conditions to be imposed except for sureties as Charters was on his way to Sydney to cover a sporting event.
Fatiaki says Charters is not a Fijian resident and lives in Hong Kong but was in Fiji to pick up his passport.
He stresses that Charters' employment is at stake.
The lawyer also highlighted that the principal offender has not been charged or identified.
He also says that these are not normal circumstances as Charters is not a Fijian resident.
When questioned by Magistrate Somaratne if Charters has a history of absconding bail as strict bail conditions are being asked for, Doidoi says he cannot disclose that now.
Magistrate Somaratne has granted Charters bail under normal conditions, including a $2,000 surety, $2,000 bail bond, not to reoffend, non interference with witnesses, surrendering his travel documents, a stop departure order and to have a fixed residential address.
Seforan says he does not know who the witnesses are.
Magistrate Somaratne says that can be provided by FICAC within 7 days in the second phase disclosures.
He also says that Fatiaki can apply for bail variation.
Fatiaki has told the court that he will be filing a stay application on the charges in the High Court following Lavi Rokoika's unlawful appointment as of 2nd February, 2026.
Charters' surety is Culden Kamea.
The case has been adjourned to 2nd of March.
Meanwhile Charters had said in a letter written from FICAC custody last night that he was approached by whistleblower(s) with the information that FICAC had hired the daughter of the Fiji Sports Council CEO – just days after FICAC had cleared the same CEO of converting a public sponsorship for private benefit.
The letter by Charters says at Nadi International Airport on Saturday, he was offered a deal – tell FICAC about the whistleblower(s) and he can get on his flight.
Charters says FICAC campaigns relentlessly for public and private bodies to set up whistleblower policies but FICAC itself has no such whistleblower pro policy.
He says FICAC acts like Moses on top of the mountain but they ain't Moses.
Charters asks who investigates the investigators and how can you expect Fiji to unsee things that are so obvious to see.
He says family and friends being preferred by a taxpayer-funded law enforcement agency with almost limitless powers to punish is wrong however they try to dress up the charges.
Charters asks who benefits from his prosecution.
Stay with us for developments.
