The Commission of Inquiry into the appointment of FICAC Commissioner Barbara Malimali was initiated by the President and any questions about its release should be directed to his office.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance & National Planning Professor Biman Prasad made the comments to the media in Suva yesterday.
Prof Prasad made it clear the ball is in President Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu’s court.
“The Commission of Inquiry was called for and appointed by the President,” Prof Prasad said.
“It’s up to the office of His Excellency, the President, to answer any of those questions,” he said when asked to respond to Fiji Labour Party (FLP) Leader Mahendra Chaudhry’s claim that the inquiry cost taxpayers over $2million.
“People like those who are putting out figures from here and there, I don’t know where he gets it.”
Prof Prasad also defended Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, saying his hands were tied on whether the report should be made public.
“The report was submitted to the President and is not mandated to be released under the Commission of Inquiry Act.
“He is an experienced Prime Minister. He knows in his own wisdom what is right for the country.”
He also turned the spotlight on the media, accusing journalists of double standards by not questioning the former FijiFirst government about the 2021 inquiry into the Auditor-General.
“None of you in the media ever asked Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and Voreqe Bainimarama what happened to that report. It was never made public.”
Prof Prasad said if the Prime Minister had advised the President to keep the current report confidential, it would have been done in the national interest.
“So, if the Prime Minister has advised the President that the report must not be released, then the Prime Minister must have a very good reason,” Prof Prasad said.
