The current director of the Fiji Correctional Services’ medical services, Dr Orisi Vunibulu, says the appointment of suspended commissioner Dr Jalesi Nakarawa’s wife as nurse practitioner proceeded without consultation with the medical unit.
This was his testimony to the Tribunal — comprising Justices Daniel Goundar, Savenaca Banuve and Dane Tuiqereqere inquiring into Dr Nakarawa’s alleged misconduct.
Dr Vunibulu said as the head of the medical division, he supervised nurses, medical orderlies, and caregivers who reported on all clinical matters and all functions aligned with the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act 2010.
He said former commissioner Frances Kean encouraged heads of units to deliberate on the Job Evaluation Exercise (JEE), an inclusive practice continued under acting commissioner Salote Panapasa in 2022 to 2023.
Dr Vunibulu then raised two major systemic challenges — there were no career pathways for prison medical staff, leading to a high turnover, and the lack of a unified structure, which overloaded the Central–Eastern Division.
To address these issues, he said that he proposed a Principal Medical Officer (PMO) to unify the medical unit, report to the commissioner and the Health Ministry, and oversee three planned divisional clinics; three divisional medical nurse positions to ensure 24/7 coverage and clear career progression, and additional medical orderlies – two per major correctional centre for round-the-clock care.
He also recommended a Centralised Divisional Clinic Model comprising Central Prison Hospital (Naboro–Suva corridor), Southern Division Clinic (covering Max, Med, Min, PRC, Academy), and Western Division Clinic (covering Lautoka, Ba, Tavua, Labasa, etc).
Dr Vunibulu said that at the time, nurse practitioner roles were not recommended because no clinical model existed to guide their practice, and staff retention and proper career pathways for existing nurses were higher priorities.
He proposed that the nurse practitioner post be introduced only after strengthening clinical oversight and staff retention, to avoid impractical and speculative planning.
Dr Vunibulu told the tribunal he did not participate in Mrs Nakarawa’s recruitment because it bypassed the Cabinet-approved structure, it proceeded without consultation with the medical unit, and was a conflict of interest.
He said when invited by the Assistant Commissioner – Administration/Strategic Management to serve on the interview panel, he declined because he was departing for his Western Division posting and therefore directed him to coordinate with Dr Rayvan Singh, who had assumed his former role.
Dr Vunibulu recalled that in May 2024, he and Dr Singh met with Dr Nakarawa who asked them the difference between nurse practitioners and doctors, and remarked: “Nurse practitioners are basically doctors.”
He said Dr Nakarawa further disclosed that his wife was a nurse practitioner.
For the job evaluation follow-up, Dr Vunibulu said he later joined the command team for the JEE implementation led by Jone Biu, and supported the establishment of the PMO and Divisional Medical Nurse posts, and advocated for long-serving nurses Shalmendra Sharma and Naushad Khan, who had gone years without increments.
He said by September 2024, Dr Nakarawa said he was taking advice “from someone in the medical field” and planned to hire nurse practitioners.
At Dr Nakarawa’s request, Dr Vunibulu provided job descriptions and pay scales, however, when advertised, the pay was inflated beyond even the PMO scale.
Dr Vunibulu said that after completing his postgraduate studies in November 2024, he met with Dr Nakarawa, who mentioned his intention to demote Dr Singh, stating that “he can take it or leave it”.
Dr Vunibulu said he advised against this and offered to exchange postings, taking over the Western Division, which was accepted.
Despite limited resources, he said, Dr Singh was expected to manage all centres with no vehicle, support, or additional staff.
In contrast, he said that when Mrs Nakarawa began, she was assigned a vehicle, secretary, and bodyguard, full resources and logistics support, and direct reporting lines to the commissioner.
Dr Vunibulu said within months, Dr Nakarawa expanded the unit — adding three nurse practitioners and four nurses — after his wife’s appointment.
On November 25, he said, Dr Singh was terminated the same day he accompanied Mrs Nakarawa on her divisional tour.
Dr Vunibulu said Dr Singh had earlier received a racially derogatory email from Superintendent Alivio Turaga, which he reported without redress.
He told the tribunal there were no disciplinary issues or poor performance records before the doctor’s dismissal.
Dr Vunibulu said after Dr Singh’s removal, Mrs Nakarawa halted hospital transfers for inmates requiring specialist care, prescribed contraindicated drugs to a urology patient, risking his life, and operated without medical oversight.
On the alleged improper drug test, Dr Vunibulu recalled a drug screening conducted by Mrs Nakarawa where one officer, Adrian Bukavulo, tested positive for MDMA and was dismissed.
Later analysis, he said, showed cross-reactivity from painkillers and antibiotics the officer was taking for a toothache before his test.
Dr Vunibulu said the lab confirmed the result was suggestive, not conclusive, but Dr Nakarawa refused redress and threatened legal action against the lab.
Dr Vunibulu said Dr Nakarawa frequently ignored medical officers’ opinions, hired new staff such as his wife, Auta Moceisuva, and Akuila Namakadre without medical clearance, and publicly claimed credit for creating a medical unit that already existed.
He said such processes were circumvented despite the availability of Dr Singh, who could have provided the required assessments of medical fitness for duty.
On August 19, Dr Vunibulu emailed Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka as chairperson of the Constitutional Offices Commission, attaching his July 2 letter of complaint against Dr Nakarawa in which he detailed his grievances.
The hearing is continuing.
