Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has confirmed that Deputy Prime Ministers Professor Biman Prasad and Manoa Kamikamica will return to their ministerial roles if they are acquitted of the allegations that led to them stepping aside.
Speaking in Suva, Mr Rabuka was asked whether he could guarantee that both leaders would be reinstated should they be cleared.
“Yes. They come straight back,” he said.
Mr Rabuka said the two would resume their responsibilities as Deputy Prime Ministers and ministers of their respective portfolios once legal proceedings were concluded in their favour. “If they’re cleared, they return straight to their positions,” he said.
Professor Prasad and Mr Kamikamica stepped aside from their duties earlier this month pending investigations. Their temporary absence had raised questions about the leadership composition within the Coalition Government and the continuity of ministerial decision-making.
The Prime Minister’s statement provides the clearest indication yet that the government intends to restore both ministers to their full positions if they are exonerated. Both Mr Prasad and Mr Kamikamica continue to hold their parliamentary seats while their portfolios are being overseen by acting ministers.
The Prime Minister has maintained that the Government will uphold due process and allow the investigations to proceed without interference, saying accountability and fairness are key to maintaining public confidence in leadership.
