Former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama is taking the Fiji Government to court for allegedly failing to pay him his correct pension and gratuity.
His civil action was called before acting Master of the High Court Liyanage Kashyapa yesterday for directions.
Bainimarama has sued the Government and has named the Attorney-General as the nominal second defendant.
According to his statement of claims, Bainimarama’s annual salary as prescribed in the Parliamentary Remuneration Act was $328,750.
He claims he was entitled by law to an annual total pension amount of 75 per cent of that annual salary, which should have amounted to $246,562.50.
However, he claims that the Government has wrongfully calculated his pension entitlements based on his salary during the COVID period when it was temporarily reduced by 20 per cent.
The statement of claim alleges that Bainimarama’s total annual pension was therefore wrongly reduced to $184,921.87.
The former prime minister further alleges that he had opted for a gratuity payment under the legislation. He says he was therefore entitled to receive 75 per cent of his annual pension each year and a lump sum gratuity of 12.5 times the remaining 25 per cent of the annual pension amount.
He claims that the one-off gratuity payment was supposed to be 12.5 x $61,640.63, amounting to $770,507.87 but the Government instead made a payment of $433,296.75 to Bainimarama leaving a shortfall of $337,211.12 in his lump sum gratuity.
The statement of claim also alleges that as a result of exercising the gratuity option, Bainimarama’s pension amount should have been $184,921.87/26 amounting to $7,112.37 per fortnight.
Bainimarama claims he has not received his correct retirement gratuity and fortnightly pension.
His lawyers Devanesh Sharma and Gul Fatima are seeking declarations that Bainimarama is entitled to be paid a remaining gratuity balance of $337,211.12 and a fortnightly pension of $7,112.37 by the Government together with 13.5 per cent interest p.a.
However, the Government and the A-G in their statement of defence maintain that Bainimarama has received his correct entitlements and deny that he is entitled to any relief claimed.
Yesterday, the acting master gave orders for the filing by the parties of further documents and adjourned the case to February 5 next year for further directions.