Police in Nausori came under heavy criticism this week after a businessman alleged the “town was run by thugs” who colluded with the lawmen.
During the Revised 2021-2022 National Budget consultation at the Hexagon Complex and Event Centre in Nausori on Monday night, Zulfikar Ali told Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum that the business community was tired and losing confidence in the Nausori police officers.
He said he was forced to call the Police Special Response Unit (PSRU) in Nasinu when he had an issue.
“Now it has come to this where we have to call PSRU to come and assist the business people here,” Mr Ali told the A-G.
“How can we have a police station here and just 50 metres away there’s drug dealing going on every day.
“But when PSRU comes in they take over the clean-up, they catch up with them, and they clean up then they go back.”
He said the businessmen in the town were “tired of begging and that most of the officers on the ground do not know the law”.
“And the amazing thing is that these officers don’t know the law – how to charge them, on what grounds to charge them.”
He also claimed that potential business investors were now wary of investing in Nausori because of the level of crime in town.
He also expressed concerns about whistleblowers being victimised and the need for police to protect the identity of those who report crimes.
“I’ve been through one. I’ve been threatened a lot. You report, next thing that person comes back to you drunk, ‘you reported me’?”
“This is what we are facing in Nausori.
“The confidence is going away. So how can this be looked into because this has been running for so long and we are just tired. That (police) station needs to be looked into,” Mr Ali said.
The A-G thanked Mr Ali for raising these issues and said he would talk to the Commissioner of Police about it.
When asked about the veracity of Mr Ali’s concerns, police spokesperson Ana Naisoro said: “We will be looking into the issues raised during the consultations”.
