Speaker of the Fijian Parliament Filimone Jitoko has upheld an objection raised by Opposition MP Jone Usamate regarding a ministerial statement that was supposed to be delivered by the Minister for Justice and acting AG Siromi Turaga in Parliament yesterday.
The statement, which referenced a case before the Lautoka High Court, was withdrawn after debate, with the Speaker ruling that it breached parliamentary standing orders due to the ongoing nature of the court proceedings.
Mr Usamate had objected, noting that the statement appeared to reference the high-profile Justin Ho drug case, involving the conviction of nine individuals for the importation and possession of over 4.1 tonnes of methamphetamine in Nadi between November 2023 and January 2024.
Mr Jitoko had sought clarification from Mr Turaga on the content of the statement, emphasizing that no specific references to ongoing court cases should be made in Parliament, as per Standing Order 61, which governs parliamentary conduct to avoid prejudicing judicial proceedings.
In his ruling today, Speaker Jitoko stated, “I am now fully conversant with the facts, and I am satisfied that Honorable Usamate had a valid objection, although made prematurely.”
He concluded that the matter breached Standing Order 61.
