Police Commissioner Isikia Savua said the Police Department needed to secure a lawyer before the end of June 1997 to help in ongoing investigations.
An article published in The Fiji Times on June 14 quoted Mr Savua as saying volunteer fraud investigations lawyer Tim Broad’s term would expire at the end of that month, and investigations being undertaken by the department then could be affected.
Mr Broad, from the Australia Executive Services Officer Programme, had been with the department for 15 months after arriving for an initial three-month attachment.
Mr Savua said the services of a fraud specialist were vital to the success of investigations for identifying cases of breach in the law.
He said discussions with the Government on the possibility of engaging someone from Australia or New Zealand were already underway, adding that he would prefer the lawyer be contracted for a period of two or three years.
“We are presently engaged in major investigations with the National Bank of Fiji, the Housing Authority and the Customs Department.
“We need the services of a lawyer specialising in fraudulent investigations because they are the ones who look through the files and determine the breaches of law. This will allow us to concentrate on those areas.’
Mr Savua said the department had a legal officer, “but I don’t want to overload him”.
He was speaking at Nadi, where he held a briefing with police officers in the West and airport security. He said the passing of legislation regarding the arrest of suspects overseas would expedite investigations and bring to justice those guilty of defrauding the system.
The then acting Solicitor-General, Nainendra Nand, said work on the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters and the Proceeds of Crime Bill had progressed well and should be finalised soon.
