DEPUTY Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica says the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) is investigating him for perjury.
Mr Kamikamica, who is also the Minister for Trade, Cooperatives, Small and Medium Enterprises and Communications, said in an interview with the media that FICAC officers visited his office at Civic Tower on Thursday night and seized his mobile phone.
“FICAC did come to our office yesterday and asked for access to my phone,” Mr Kamikamica said.
“So, after speaking to my lawyers, I handed over the phone to them. I think the search warrant said something about perjury. So we’ll see what it’s all about.”
When questioned whether he believed the seizure was linked to the findings of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) report into the appointment of former FICAC commissioner Barbara Malimali, Mr Kamikamica said he was not certain but assumed there may be a connection.
“Because the Commission of Inquiry made some suggestions around some allegations. But I’m here to co-operate and hopefully they’ll come back and ask some more questions.”
Mr Kamikamica expressed disappointment with the COI report’s conclusions, describing it as lacking evidence and heavily reliant on hearsay.
Despite his reservations, Mr Kamikamica said he was willing to co-operate fully with the investigation and hoped for a chance to clear his name.
“Certainly, from my perspective, I would like to have the opportunity to actually set the record straight.
“There’s a family behind me, and people that have sent me to Parliament, and they didn’t send me to come and be irresponsible.”
He criticised the report for making conclusions based on what he described as “hearsay on hearsay” and questioned the basis on which accusations were being made.
“How are we now starting to accuse people based on rumour and innuendo?
“That’s something that will be fleshed out in the fullness of time.”
Mr Kamikamica stated that he will issue further remarks after returning from the chiefly installation in Lau.
FICAC has said that it will not be releasing any statements in regard to Mr Kamikamica’s case.
Meanwhile, Mr Kamikamica has rejected the findings of the recently released Commission of Inquiry (COI) report, describing it as a “onesided interpretation of facts”.
Speaking publicly for the first time since the Government made the COI report public, Mr Kamikamica said the document contains major gaps, lacks factual evidence, and fails to reflect his objections to its conclusions.
“There are big gaps in that report, which is quite disappointing,” Mr Kamikamica said.
“They make allegations without any factual evidence. It doesn’t even mention that I disagreed with what was being said in the conclusions.”
The report, which implicates Mr Kamikamica in matters relating to the appointment of former FICAC Commissioner Barbara Malimali, has sparked widespread public debate.
However, the Deputy Prime Minister insists there was no wrongdoing, instead urging Fijians to scrutinise the content and make up their own minds.
“One of the things I would like to point out to the people of Fiji, just have a think about the people on that commission that selected Ms Malimali. “These are people of integrity.
For someone to suggest that they were influenced, or there was some sort of conspiracy, is virtually impossible because you have to influence a whole myriad of people.”
Mr Kamikamica also questioned the motive behind the inquiry, stating that the initial complaints came from someone he described as a “serial spreader of misinformation.”
“People of Fiji should try and start thinking about who started this report, started by someone who peddles in lies and nonfacts, Alex Fordwood.
“All of the allegations she throws up, it’s untruths. Half truths or half-facts. This is the basis on which this report has been started.”
When asked whether he believed the report was politically motivated or a ploy to make him ineligible for public office, Mr Kamikamica responded “I’ll leave it to the people of Fiji to work out their interpretation… Just read the report and have a good look at it.
“As far as I’m concerned, I was sent to Parliament to do a job. “That was to rebuild the country… And we will continue to do that to the best of our ability.”
