Former Supervisor of Elections and lawyer Mohammed Saneem has criticised what he described as the routine misuse of the 48-hour detention rule by law enforcement agencies, saying recent public outrage highlights a long-standing failure to stand up for ordinary citizens.
In a post shared on LinkedIn, Saneem said some people were “only now” waking up to the fact that the Police and the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) should not abuse the constitutional limit on detention without charge.
He alleged that it is common practice for suspects to be detained until the 48th hour before being released, sometimes repeatedly, even when no charges are eventually laid.
Saneem also claimed that arrests are often deliberately made on Friday afternoons, with interviews conducted over the weekend, effectively extending detention time.
He further alleged that the right to legal counsel is sometimes treated as optional rather than fundamental, and said the Criminal Investigations Department has, in some cases, charged individuals only to keep them detained overnight.
Referring to current public reaction surrounding a high-profile case involving FICAC, Saneem said the uproar exposed a broader problem.
“This shows that no one stands up for the common man,” he wrote, noting that strong reactions from senior figures, including the Deputy Speaker, were rarely seen in cases involving ordinary citizens.
He concluded by urging the public to recognise that such practices have long existed and should not only attract concern when prominent individuals are affected.
