Lawyer Seforan Fatiaki has accused the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) of misusing its powers of arrest and detention in its handling of citizen publisher Charlie Charters.
In a formal letter dated 22 February 2026 addressed to FICAC, Fatiaki said Charters’ caution interview was suspended at 12.43pm today and had not resumed, with no explanation provided.
“The delay is unreasonable and means only a delay in the whole investigation process, forcing Mr Charters to spend another night in custody,” Fatiaki wrote.
“Just because FICAC has 48 hours before it is required to produce Mr Charters in court does not mean it can use it with impunity.”
Fatiaki confirmed that Charters has declined to answer questions from investigators and will continue to do so.
He said his client has been advised that he is under suspicion of aiding and abetting a FICAC officer in unlawfully disclosing information, but that FICAC has not identified the officer concerned.
He further alleged that a senior FICAC investigator had repeatedly told Charters — in the presence of witnesses, including his wife and lawyers — that he would be released and face no further investigation if he disclosed his source.
“It was made clear that Mr Charters’ arrest and detention were carried out for the sole purpose of extracting that information from him,” Fatiaki said.
The lawyer argued that while FICAC has the power to prohibit a person from leaving Fiji if they are under investigation, that power cannot be used as leverage.
“In other words, Mr Charters has not been arrested for the purposes of a bona fide investigation,” he said.
“He has been arrested as a means of coercing him to give information to FICAC about another investigation.”
Fatiaki said FICAC’s actions amount to a gross misuse of its investigative powers and placed the Commission on notice that all of Charters’ rights are reserved.
