Acting Commissioner of the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC), Lavi Rokoika, has pushed back against comments by Opposition MP Jone Usamate, who questioned whether she would reinstate former FICAC officers named in a Commission of Inquiry report, stating that employment matters are solely within FICAC’s authority and will not be influenced by political or public pressure.
“Employment matters within FICAC are solely within the Commission’s statutory authority,” Rokoika said, reiterating that FICAC operates independently under the 2007 Act. “Public pressure or parliamentary commentary will not dictate the Commission’s decisions.”
Her comments follow Usamate’s call for the reinstatement or compensation of four former FICAC officers—Francis Puleiwai, Kuliniasi Saumi, Kuli Raqisa, and Mesake Waqa—who were, according to the report, removed under “coercive, retaliatory, and procedurally flawed” circumstances.
Usamate questioned whether the Acting Commissioner would implement those recommendations or “chart her own course.”
“So I ask: When will these four officers be reinstated? And more importantly, will Acting Commissioner Lavi Rokoika implement the recommendations of the Commission, or will she chart her own course, ignoring the very findings that brought her into office?” he said in a statement issued yesterday.
“This is not about politics. It is about principle,” Usamate said. “If we allow these findings to gather dust, we send a message that accountability is optional.”
Rokoika, however, has rejected the suggestion, stating that two of the individuals named—Raqisa and Waqa—had never been employed by the Commission.
“Any suggestion to the contrary is factually incorrect and misleading,” Rokoika said. “Given the misinformation circulated by the Honourable Member of Parliament, it is prudent that the Honourable Member and the general public refrain from further commentary and await the official report from the Office of the President.”
She also confirmed that FICAC would not issue further public statements on the matter while internal consultations are ongoing.
The back-and-forth comes following the completion of a Commission of Inquiry tasked with reviewing the legality of Barbara Malimali’s appointment as FICAC Commissioner in September last year.
Although the inquiry began with a narrow focus, it expanded in scope over nine weeks of hearings involving 35 witnesses, uncovering concerns not just about Malimali’s appointment but wider institutional processes and governance within FICAC and the Judicial Services Commission.
Chaired by Justice David Ashton-Lewis with Counsel Janet Mason, the Commission submitted its report to the President and Prime Minister on May 1 this year, describing their findings and recommendations as “serious.”
While the report itself remains officially confidential, leaked sections suggest possible offences including abuse of office, forgery, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy involving up to 11 individuals.
The Commission itself was clear that it does not make findings of criminal guilt but flagged potential breaches that police may independently investigate. Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu confirmed that the force had concluded its assessment and handed its findings to the Prime Minister’s Office, but also stated that police investigations would follow a separate process from the inquiry’s proceedings.
Meanwhile, leaked excerpts of the report continue to circulate publicly. Some of those named have dismissed the report as “selective” or politically driven.
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