FICAC remains silent on whether a full independent investigation and assessment has been done regarding the complaint against Fiji Sports Council senior executives, and how was this done as the Acting FICAC Commissioner, Lavi Rokoika is the sister-in-law of the Fiji Sports Council CEO, Gilbert Vakalalabure.
Questions are being raised after Vakalalabure was recently cleared by FICAC.
Dismissed FICAC Commissioner Barbara Malimali's lawyer, Tanya Waqanika says only in Fiji this nonsense is openly entertained and condoned where an institution headed by a close family member clears another and everyone including the Minister of Youth and Sports (the line Minister of the Fiji Sports Council) says it’s “all good”.
Waqanika also says she questioned a Fiji Sports Council board member whether all the board members raised and registered their concern after the clearance on the “conflict of interest” given the relationship of the Acting Commissioner FICAC and CEO of the Fiji Sports Council.
Waqanika says the complaint should have been referred to the ODPP and Rokoika should have cleared her hands from the file.
The complaint was sent to the then FICAC Commissioner, Barbara Malimali on 31st March 2025.
The allegations made by a former Fiji Sports Council employee included misuse of Fiji Airways Contra Agreement where a partnership intended exclusively for official Council business was used for personal benefit, unauthorised travel for family members, misallocation of resources where a Minister’s spouse was accommodated on a business-class ticket at the Council’s expense displacing the Team Manager who was originally scheduled to travel and suppression of concerns when the former employee formally raised objections (both in writing and verbally), Vakalalabure allegedly dismissed the matter, instructing him to "drop the issue" after the Minister offered belated reimbursement.
The former employee highlighted several alleged breaches at the Fiji Sports Council to FICAC on 31st March 2025 and formally requested a comprehensive forensic audit of all financial transactions referenced in the complaint; an external review of HR disciplinary processes to address alleged bias in enforcement; legal scrutiny of all unauthorized contracts that were executed without proper approval; and the immediate suspension of all implicated officers pending the outcome of these investigations to prevent any further compromise of evidence or potential interference with due process.
The former staff member said the Fiji Sports Council’s integrity and public trust are at stake.
FICAC executed a search warrant at the Fiji Sports Council Headquarters on 8th May 2025.
The Fiji Sports Council confirmed on that day that FICAC executed a search warrant at their premises and obtained documents as part of a preliminary investigation.
Vakalalabure said they understand this follows a complaint believed to have been lodged by a former employee whose employment was terminated.
He said they wish to reassure the public, stakeholders, and partners that the Council remains committed to transparency, accountability, and integrity in all their operations.
Malimali was dismissed as Acting FICAC Commissioner on June 2nd 2025.
We have also asked if FICAC is investigating the Fiji Sports Council CEO, Gilbert Vakalalabure and the former Permanent Secretary for Forests, Atelaite Rokosuka in relation to the controversial wind turbine project plan after Rokosuka was found guilty by the Public Service Disciplinary Tribunal and reprimanded publicly.
It was also earlier highlighted by the Public Service Commission Chairman, Luke Rokovada that Gilbert Vakalalabure was also involved in the failed wind turbine project plan.
They have not responded.
Stay with us for developments.
The main whistleblower in the Fiji Sports Council case is appalled at the decision made by FICAC to clear the Council CEO, Gilbert Vakalalabure and senior staff when revelations have been made now by Minister for Sports, Jese Saukuru that Saukuru and his wife travelled business class under the Sports Council tickets last year.
The whistleblower who is a former employee of the Fiji Sports Council says this confirms that his complaint to FICAC has merit.
The former staff member says he wants to see what the government will do as he has all the evidence.
He confirms he had brokered the contra deal for Fiji Sports Council with Fiji Airways, and it was only supposed to be used by staff for official travel.
The whistleblower says this was to focus on their mandate under the Fiji Sports Council Act to expand and maintain sports facilities in the country.
The contra was supposed to be used to go to different parts of the country for site inspections and sports facility development, and for attachment programs for staff to go to major stadiums overseas to assist in the uplifting of standards here.
He stresses that the official invitation to the Sports Minister made no mention of the Minister's spouse, further highlighting the impropriety of the arrangement.
In an interview with fijivillage News yesterday, Minister for Sports, Jese Saukuru confirmed he was invited to travel to New Zealand by the Fiji Sports Council for a grassroots 7s tournament last year, he travelled business class but it was not his decision for his wife to travel in business class.
Saukuru made these comments to us as questions start to be raised on the issues of conflict of interest and the manner in which FICAC has cleared the Fiji Sports Council CEO, Gilbert Vakalalabure in relation to the allegations levelled against him and some other senior executives of Fiji Sports Council.
When questioned by fijivillage News, Minister for Sports Saukuru says he was unaware that Gilbert Vakalalabure was under investigation for certain allegations by FICAC and only got to know when he was cleared.
Saukuru confirms that he travelled to New Zealand in business class with his wife after the invitation by the Fiji Sports Council to attend a 7s tournament organised by the Fijian diaspora.
He says a Fiji Sports Council grassroots team featured in that tournament.
When asked by us on who actually invited him, Saukuru says he has to check that.
When further questioned, Saukuru says he never demanded business class travel for him or his wife.
He adds cabinet cleared him to travel, and the business class airfares were paid by the Fiji Sports Council while the Fijian diaspora looked after their accommodation.
The Sports Minister says him going to New Zealand was to support grassroots sports development.
Saukuru says he has nothing to hide.
He then told fijivillage News that he can always pay back what his wife has used and he will do it as he loves his wife, and she has been behind him all the time.
Saukuru says the Fiji Sports Council invited him, but as it turns out it is going another way now, he has to sort it out and will pay for his wife's business class travel.
When asked whether there was a conflict of interest in accepting the travel, he maintained it was approved by cabinet.
He says he only appointed Vakalalabure as Chair of the Fiji Sports Council.
Saukuru says Vakalalabure later resigned and then the board appointed Vakalalabure as the CEO of the Fiji Sports Council.
The allegations made by a former Fiji Sports Council employee included misuse of Fiji Airways Contra Agreement where a partnership intended exclusively for official Council business was used for personal benefit, unauthorised travel for family members, misallocation of resources where a Minister’s spouse was accommodated on a business-class ticket at the Council’s expense displacing the Team Manager who was originally scheduled to travel and suppression of concerns when the former employee formally raised objections (both in writing and verbally), Vakalalabure allegedly dismissed the matter, instructing him to "drop the issue" after the Minister offered belated reimbursement.
We have sent questions to the Prime Minister and FICAC.
The Fiji Sports Council Board will sign on an independent investigator this afternoon to look into the allegations against the Sports Council CEO, Gilbert Vakalalabure.
This has been confirmed to fijivillage News by Sports Council Deputy Chairman, Peter Mazey.
Questions also continue to be raised from within the Ministry of Sports and the Fiji Sports Council about the risk of potential evidence tampering as CEO of Fiji Sports Council remains in office after the announcement by the Prime Minister late last month that independent investigations will be conducted.
The issues mainly deal with alleged conflict of interest and decisions being made without the Sports Council Board's approval.
A whistleblower who is a former staff member of the Fiji Sports Council maintains many decisions being made were not approved by the Board which included business class travel under the Sports Council contra deal with Fiji Airways for Vakalalabure, his wife, the Sports Minister, Jese Saukuru and his wife's travel without the Sports Council's Board approval.
This contra deal was for the Sports Council.
It has also come to light that the Sports Council's grassroots 7s tournaments which cost a lot of money was being organised without the Council's Board approval, and the team going to NZ for a tournament there last year, also did not have Board approval.
Meanwhile no fees will be increased for Fiji Sports Council facilities without consultation and understanding the situation of the people like the sporting bodies hiring the facilities.
Exorbitant fees for the facilities have been sent through by the Fiji Sports Council, and we have received this through a whistleblower who provided the document to Fijian and British national, Charlie Charters.
Some of the fees unilaterally increased go as high as 300 to 500 percent, some even higher.
Mazey has stressed that the Sports Council can confirm the rates being circulated is not approved, and is not in place.
Mazey says they will not implement anything like this as there has been no consultation.
When asked on sporting bodies and other organisations contacting us to raise serious concerns about the exorbitant fees being charged without consultation and some bodies saying that the minor sports will die a natural death if this is implemented, Mazey says the Board makes it clear that this will not be done.
We had earlier contacted Vakalalabure. He is yet to comment.
Stay with us for developments.
Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka has summoned Minister for Sports, Jese Saukuru to a one-on-one meeting in light of the questions raised about the New Zealand trip of him and his spouse, and other matters relating to the Fiji Sports Council, which falls under Minister Saukuru’s portfolio.
Rabuka confirms that a request was submitted on 20th January 2025 by the Permanent Secretary for Youth and Sports seeking approval for Saukuru to travel to New Zealand to accompany the Fiji Sports Council’s Under-20 Rugby Sevens team, from 28th January to 5th February last year.
Rabuka says the request followed an invitation from the Fiji Sports Council and was approved.
However, the Prime Minister says the application made no reference to Saukuru being accompanied by his spouse.
Rabuka says while Ministers may be accompanied by their spouse on official travel—either at the Minister’s own cost or where sponsored by a host country—such arrangements must be clearly stated in the original submission.
He says this information should have formed part of the request and is assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Rabuka adds with regard to the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption, the 2013 Constitution is clear that under Section 115(6), FICAC is an independent body, and neither he nor the Government has the authority to direct or control it.
Meanwhile the main whistleblower in the Fiji Sports Council case is appalled at the decision made by FICAC to clear the Council CEO, Gilbert Vakalalabure and senior staff when revelations have been made now by Minister for Sports, Jese Saukuru that Saukuru and his wife travelled business class under the Sports Council tickets last year.
The whistleblower who is a former employee of the Fiji Sports Council says this confirms that his complaint to FICAC has merit.
The former staff member says he wants to see what the government will do as he has all the evidence. He confirms he had brokered the contra deal for Fiji Sports Council with Fiji Airways, and it was only supposed to be used by staff for official travel.
The whistleblower says this was to focus on their mandate under the Fiji Sports Council Act to expand and maintain sports facilities in the country.
The contra was supposed to be used to go to different parts of the country for site inspections and sports facility development, and for attachment programs for staff to go to major stadiums overseas to assist in the uplifting of standards here.
He stresses that the official invitation to the Sports Minister made no mention of the Minister's spouse, further highlighting the impropriety of the arrangement.
In an interview with fijivillage News yesterday, Minister for Sports, Jese Saukuru confirmed he was invited to travel to New Zealand by the Fiji Sports Council for a grassroots 7s tournament last year, he travelled business class but it was not his decision for his wife to travel in business class.
Saukuru made these comments to us as questions start to be raised on the issues of conflict of interest and the manner in which FICAC has cleared the Fiji Sports Council CEO, Gilbert Vakalalabure in relation to the allegations levelled against him and some other senior executives of Fiji Sports Council.
When questioned by fijivillage News, Minister for Sports Saukuru said he was unaware that Gilbert Vakalalabure was under investigation for certain allegations by FICAC and only got to know when he was cleared.
Saukuru confirms that he travelled to New Zealand in business class with his wife after the invitation by the Fiji Sports Council to attend a 7s tournament organised by the Fijian diaspora.
When further questioned, Saukuru says he never demanded business class travel for him or his wife.
Saukuru told fijivillage News that he can always pay back what his wife has used and he will do it as he loves his wife, and she has been behind him all the time.
The allegations made by a former Fiji Sports Council employee included misuse of Fiji Airways Contra Agreement where a partnership intended exclusively for official Council business was used for personal benefit, unauthorised travel for family members, misallocation of resources where a Minister’s spouse was accommodated on a business-class ticket at the Council’s expense displacing the Team Manager who was originally scheduled to travel and suppression of concerns when the former employee formally raised objections (both in writing and verbally), Vakalalabure allegedly dismissed the matter, instructing him to "drop the issue" after the Minister offered belated reimbursement.
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