An Australian visitor to Fiji has written a formal complaint to the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service on the conduct of a Customs Officer at Denarau Marina and also raised financial irregularity concerns and disruption of vessel departure.
The concern person says on the 12th of this month, the Customs Officer at the Denarau Marina demanded FJD$240 where he produced FJD$100 in cash and asked to pay the remaining FJD$140 by EFTPOS.
He says that the Customs Officer stated that the EFTPOS machine was not working and insisted he visit an ATM for more cash.
The concerned person says when he declined, the Customs Officer refused the payment offered and said he would not be permitted to leave Fiji unless he obtained the additional cash.
He adds that he was willing to pay the amount demanded and he requested verification of the legal basis for this charge, the reported EFTPOS malfunction, and the applicable receipt and accounting procedures.
The concerned person says he was concerned that the insistence on cash may indicate an intention not to process the payment through official systems and ask that this possibility be independently investigated.
He also highlighted that following the dispute, the captain became upset and he stood outside.
He says they then proceeded as a group to the vessel for an inspection.
He claimed that the officer appeared to conduct only a cursory inspection, where the officer requested his passport again, despite having seen it in the office, saying he needed to verify his identity.
The concerned person says the officer examined his passport, confirmed he had finished, but refused his request to return it.
He is asking FRCS to identify the legal authority and procedural basis for that continued retention.
He also revealed that the officer then questioned him repeatedly about whether he would continue on the voyage, a matter ordinarily for the captain, subject to legitimate clearance requirements.
He says following the incident, the captain decided to disembark him.
He further says at approximately noon; she departed with only one other crew member.
He says the captain is in her seventies, and, to his knowledge, the remaining crew member has no offshore sailing experience and he is concerned about the resulting maritime safety implications.
The concerned person says he has been left in Denarau without accommodation and without a practical means of returning home for approximately a month.
He adds that after the incident, he spent more than thirty minutes explaining his concerns about the safety of the captain and crew to the officer.
He says the officer showed no apparent concern and indicated that the police should attend.
The person says he subsequently spoke with police, who took his witness statement.
The concerned person says he is requesting an independent review of the local office at Denarau Marina, including the identification of the officer, verification of the FJD$240 fee, examination of EFTPOS status and transaction logs, cash collection and receipt procedures, passport handling, the questioning surrounding my departure, and any previous relevant complaints.
He also asks if the CCTV, clearance records, duty logs, communications, and financial records, could be preserve, and also coordinate appropriately with police.
He says this matter raises significant concerns about the exercise of public authority, integrity of revenue collection, travel document handling, and maritime safety.
When we questioned the FRCS, they said that an investigation is underway.
