Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Biman Prasad will not be prosecuted, says Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC).
FICAC confirmed closing investigations against Mr Prasad following a complaint over alleged failures in asset declarations.
“The complaint, filed by Alexander Forwood of Sydney, Australia, accused Dr Prasad of submitting false declarations to the Fijian Elections Office from 2014 to 2023. It also raised concerns over the omission of superannuation details and his ties to organisations such as FEMLink Pacific and the Global Girmit Institute,” FICAC said.
“After a comprehensive investigation, including an in-person interview and examination of documents and legal submissions, FICAC found that while Dr. Prasad qualifies as an “office holder” under section 24 of the Political Parties (Registration, Conduct, Funding and Disclosures) Act 2013, there was no evidence of intentional wrongdoing.
“FICAC noted that superannuation information had not been included in Dr. Prasad’s declarations since 2014, and neither the Supervisor of Elections nor the Electoral Commission raised any objections during that time. The Commission observed that the declaration forms did not explicitly request superannuation details, which could reasonably lead an office holder to believe the forms were completed appropriately.
“The Commission also reviewed allegations about Dr. Prasad’s spouse and his professional links with former FNU Vice-Chancellor Dr. Ganesh Chand, concluding that no reportable business transactions occurred. Similarly, regarding his interest in Lotus Construction and Lotus Tours and Travel, Dr. Prasad had declared his shareholding and confirmed no dividends were received, which met the requirements under the Act.”
FICAC said it acknowledged that technical breaches of the declaration requirements were still prosecutable under the law, which imposes strict liability.
“However, the Commission emphasized the need to distinguish between deliberate violations and minor or trivial oversights. In exercising its prosecutorial discretion, FICAC stated that it would not pursue prosecution in Dr. Prasad’s case, citing the absence of willful non-compliance and the potential for political misuse of the declaration regime.”
FICAC confirmed that it will continue to closely scrutinize all future complaints to prevent the agency from being weaponised for political gain.
