Fiji’s Anti-Corruption Commissioner, Barbara Malimali, has declined to comment on the dismissal of senior officer Kuliniasi Saumi and the Commission of Inquiry’s (CoI) renewed call for her suspension, stating that she would let the process take its course.
“The termination of a staff member … is an employment matter. I’m going to leave it at that,” Malimali said. “I’d like to respect the processes of the CoI until it concludes. Then we will make our decisions and take further actions.”
Saumi was summarily dismissed for allegedly making a secret recording of a meeting at FICAC on 5 September 2024—the same day he had arrested Malimali. The recording was later submitted as part of Saumi’s affidavit to the CoI.
The CoI has argued that Malimali had a conflict of interest in dismissing Saumi, as the recording contained evidence directly related to its inquiry. Following his dismissal, the CoI wrote to the Judicial Services Commission (JSC), urging Malimali’s suspension to prevent any potential interference in judicial proceedings and to safeguard witness testimony.
When asked about the CoI’s request for her suspension, Malimali dismissed the issue as outside of her concern.
“I have no comment to that,” she said. “Everyone has the information to write and communicate, and if that is what has been done, then I leave it to the CoI to receive and deal with it. That’s none of my business.”
Despite the CoI’s push, the JSC reportedly rejected its request twice – the latest on the basis that it does not have the authority to do so, in the absence of an explicit provision in either the 2013 Constitution or the FICAC Act 2007. The JSC underscored this stance via a statement issued yesterday, stating that it had “responsibly responded” to the request.
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