Former Corrections assistant commissioner Akuila Namakadre says the removal of four senior service officers was in line with the restructuring-related decisions made under the commissioner’s constitutional authority.
Mr Namakadre testified on November 13 before the tribunal consisting of justices Dane Tuiqereqere, Daniel Goundar, and Savenaca Banuva, inquiring into a series of allegations against suspended commissioner Dr Jalesi Nakarawa.
Mr Namakadre said he knew Dr Nakarawa and his wife, Vakaloloma Mocevakaca, through their professional association as corrections officers.
He said before Dr Nakarawa’s appointment as commissioner, he had never met or interacted with Mrs Nakarawa.
Mr Namakadre said he was appointed Assistant Commissioner Corrections on June 13 last year. Before the appointment, he submitted an expression of interest for the position.
Following his submission, he was advised by a senior human resources officer to meet the Deputy Commissioner of Corrections, who was also the chair of the staff board.
He subsequently underwent an interview process and, after approval by Justice Minister Siromi Turaga, he signed a 12-month contract.
In terms of the insurance provider change, he told the tribunal he was part of the team involved in the change of the insurance provider, together with the welfare insurance officer and the accounts officer. His role was to ensure effective and efficient insurance services were maintained for all staff and their families within the FCS.
Mr Namakadre said the change from BSP Life was initiated at the request of the officers and their families, and that said the recommendation for the new insurance provider was endorsed by the FCS board.
He said he was not aware of any internal objections to the change as it was a staff-driven request. Concerning specific employment and appointment matters, Mr Namakadre said the base salary of a nurse practitioner post at $58,036, was below the medical officer’s salary of $72,000.
He said the salary scale was consistent with service requirements and comparable to nurse practitioner positions within the Ministry of Health.
He said the nurse practitioner post was created through an approved trade-off within the establishment to bridge the service gap between nurses and medical officers.
As Assistant Commissioner responsible for human resources, he chaired the interview panel, which was constituted by the HR division. He said the position was openly advertised and applications were received through standard recruitment channels.
He said shortlisting was based on qualifications, experience, merit, and registration with the Fiji Nursing Council. He said the nurse practitioner post replaced the former divisional nurse position as a “trade-off”, a decision approved by Dr Nakarawa.
Mr Namakadre said before the interview, he informed the panel that one of the applicants, Mrs Nakarawa, was the commissioner’s wife. Despite this, the panel agreed to proceed based on open merit. However, assisting counsel, Juleen Fatiaki, noted that earlier witnesses on the panel said he had not informed them and that they discovered the issue themselves; when they raised it with him, he merely smiled.
He maintained this never occurred, asserting that he disclosed the matter beforehand.
When asked by the Tribunal if he thought it was appropriate for the head of the FCS to employ his wife in the service, Mr Namakadre replied: “He doesn’t think so.”
Moving on to Dr Nakarawa’s stepson, Jeremaia Yavala, Mr Namakadre said Mr Yavala’s temporary relieving appointment as Correctional Officer Class C on October 9, 2024, was made in accordance with established FCS administrative procedures.
At the time, the Engineering Unit faced a manpower shortage, and his appointment ensured continuity of essential services.
On the other stepson, Inia Yavala, Mr Namakadre said he was interviewed according to the standard recruitment process.
He said his required fitness level (RFL) threshold was assessed as a measure of training suitability rather than a strict qualifying barrier.
He said the decision to proceed was made collectively by the panel. At the time of his interview, he said he was not aware that Mr Yavala was the stepson of the commissioner.
He said temporary appointments of officers within the engineering section were made to meet operational manpower requirements as those officers were later transferred to correctional institutions to address custodial staffing shortages. Although still temporary, he said their remuneration was adjusted to match their duties. He said the officers were expected to undergo basic recruitment training in the next available intake.
In terms of the other employment matters of senior accounts officer Helen Koi, senior medical officer Dr Rayvan Singh, Assistant Commissioner Salesia Racaca, and chief logistics officer Ilisoni Ratumaikoro, who were separately demoted and terminated without cause, he said these were handled internally through administrative processes.
During the tribunal questioning, Mr Namakadre confirmed a restructuring process was underway within the FCS to align staff positions with qualifications and performance.
Under this process, he said Ms Koi was reassigned from senior accounts officer to accounts officer with a reduced salary. He said the change occurred because another officer was more qualified.
The tribunal heard Ms Koi had 27 years of experience in the civil service and held a diploma.
Ms Fatiaki told him that while the job description preferred a degree, it was not mandatory.
Mr Ratumaikoro was also reassigned to logistics officer as part of the restructure. Mr Namakadre said he was not subjected to any disciplinary process before the change.
Ms Racaca was moved to the manager director of training, which also resulted in a pay reduction. He said these changes were made to align qualifications with role requirements.
For the creation of new positions, Ms Fatiaki made it known to him that during the restructuring, new positions such as director of operations and intelligence, director of strategic planning and policy, principal statistician (Research and Planning), and staff officer, human resources were not part of the 81 posts approved for funding in that financial year.
He maintained he had no professional conflict of interest, as the appointment was merit-based.
