LETTERS TO THE EDITOR I Monday, July 27th, 2026

Help from Israel

Now that an Israeli embassy has been established in Suva, we all have been told the benefits Fiji will receive with their superior knowledge in agriculture and other food production technology.

Has anyone thought of approaching the Israelis to assist in the sugar industry?

But what I fail to understand is that big brother, Australia, is one of the largest sugar producers in the world and Fiji does not seem to have sought assistance from them. There are no less than 28 sugar mills scattered from the northern NSW border to Far North Queensland.

Surely Australia knows a few things about sugar production, but there must be logic in Fijians seeking help from everywhere else in the last few decades. We all know Fijian logic is the best. That is why the country is where it is — a proud Third World, third rate country.

Jan Nissar Tokyo, Japan 

COI costing

The Fiji Times readers should be braced for the Commission of Inquiry costing more than the approximately $2m you referred to in Saturday’s newspaper.

During the April 10-12 evidence-taking for the judicial reviews into the COI, a document was submitted into the public record that gave a glimpse of the magnitude of the costs involved.

This was in a letter dated May 21, 2025 from the President to Ms Janet Mason, counsel assisting.

The accommodation and subsistence allowance for Justice David Ashton-Lewis alone was $A2000 per day, or approx $3000 per day. The Supreme Court judge was in Fiji for the most part of half a year, from mid-November to mid-May.

And six lawyers from Ms Mason’s firm in Wellington were paid $NZD200 or approx $260 an hour for a guaranteed 1350 hours’ work to pull together the COI Report in the four weeks before its publication in May last year.

Basic maths on just those two medium-sized line items gets us close to $1m. More important, chunkier costs are missing. How much was Ashton-Lewis’s fees per day and for how many days, and how many hours was Ms Mason able to bill at the $NZD350 or approx $450 an hour she was authorised to charge according to the May 21 letter?

And then there would be the cost of the secretariat, the staffing, the audio-visual fit-out and live communications that linked to the Auckland law offices of Rajendra Chaudhry where Mr Chaudhry joined his clients Ms Alexandra Forwood and Ms Frances Puleiwai.

Since the report’s publication a tornado of trouble has been unleashed for the Government.

By my count, there have been at least 12 High Court appearances by counsel from the Offices of the Attorney-General and Solicitor-General defending the COI and its findings, and the actions of the President and Prime Minister.

Those costs need to be added to the COI bill plus any external advice that had to be commissioned.

On August 3, Justice Dane Tuiqereqere will rule on three separate Judicial Reviews that have challenged whether the COI was legally fair or even valid, as no evidence appears to exist that the COI’s two extensions were gazetted.

This raises the possibility of cost orders being made against the state for the petitioners’ legal fees.

Added to this, there may be financial penalties if the COI is ruled to have been too legally flawed to be allowed to stand.

If there are penalties, who will pay?

Also, the COI bill must include the yet-to-be-resolved financial settlement due to FICAC Commissioner Barbara Malimali for her unlawful removal by the President on the advice of the PM. Her forced exit followed directly on the COI Report’s conclusions.

FICAC’s deeply flawed prosecution of me is one consequence of this whole pointless COI fiasco, initiated by an acting Commissioner who was only in office because of the personnel reshuffle demands by the COI Report.

Should I choose to sue and if I was successful that would be another cost to add directly to the COI bill.

If you don’t believe how quickly this all can add up, Ms Mason readied us for how much might have been spent. She told Mai TV on July 22, that COIs “normally cost in the many millions of dollars”.

Whatever dollars and cents figure is finally tabled, you can be certain of two things.

Firstly, the bill won’t be $2m. And secondly, the bill will be paid by bewildered and frustrated taxpayers left totally in the dark by the Government, and not by anyone in the Cabinet who the Prime Minister assured us signed off on this farrago

Charlie Charters Hong Kong

Quality of boxers

I was disappointed with Saturday night’s boxing at the Vodafone Arena in Suva.

Organised by Kings Boxing Promotions, the contests were a far cry from what boxing fans had expected.

Firstly, fans got a shock when they were informed that Indian opponents, Rohit Chauhan and replacement Digari Mahesh, facing our golden boxer, Mikaele Ravulaca, pulled out and then Sigatoka’s wonder boy Binnu Singh knocked out India’s Harjot Singh in the first round.

Imagine fans paying money to witness a boxer from India getting knocked out in the first round and then to see Mika facing four local boxers — Jone Tabuarua, Peni Vunisa, Watisoni Rokotuitoga and Samuela Leqaiwai whom Mika outclassed. Binnu was too powerful for Harjot who looked more like a clown than boxer. Binnu defended his WBA Oceania Super Batamweight title, but I would have loved his opponent to give him a run for the crown. Instead, it was a jolly ride to victory. While I thank the promoters for trying to organise boxing competitions, it is important that they look at the quality of boxers who take the ring.

Looks like some boxers are coming to the ring unprepared to make money. It’s a humble plea to Fiji Boxing Association to monitor future competitions and quality of boxers!

Rajnesh Ishwar Lingam Nadawa, Nasinu

Maintaining ethical standards

CJ urges lawyers to maintain ethical standards (FT25/7/26).

That’s very good counsel for new lawyers because there is a public perception that many in that noble profession have gone astray and even rogue. And that is not good for the country.

Rajend Naidu Sydney, Australia

Guru Purnima Festival

On July 29, 2026 (Full Moon) Hindus across the globe will celebrate the sacred Guru Purnima Festival to honour their spiritual gurus (teachers) and to express their gratitude for the guidance, wisdom and enlightenment provided.

According to the Hindu calendar it is celebrated in the month of Ashad (June and July).

This is particularly significant as it coincides with the birth of sage Vyas, the compiler of the Vedas and the author of the Mahabharata.

Thus this festival is also referred to as Vyas Purnima as it commemorates the birth of Sage Vyas who divided the Vedas into four categories of knowledge, composed the Mahabharata and wrote the Puranas, making sacred knowledge accessible to the entire humanity.

Hindus regard Lord Shiva as Adi Guru (First Teacher). It is Lord Shiva who imparted the Yogic knowledge to mankind. In the first instance the Yogic wisdom was imparted to the Saptarishis (Seven seers), establishing the guru disciplic tradition.

The word guru comes from the Sanskrit language which means: Gu = darkness (ignorance) and Ru = dispeller. Thus a guru is a person who removes ignorance from the minds of his disciples and leads them towards the ultimate truth (God).

Hindus teach their children the guru mantra from early childhood: ” Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Deovo Maheshwara, Guru Sachat Param Brahma Tasmai Shri Guruwenamaha”.

This is the highest accolade one can pay to his/her guru.

In different parts of India there are various methods of celebration: devotees perform rituals to honour their teachers by offering flowers, chanting mantras, reading sacred texts, worship of guru’s feet, recitations from Bhagavad Gita and the holy Ramcharitramanas.

Community feats and satsangs (spiritual gatherings) are organised.

Disciples touch the feet of their guru seeking blessings and expressing their humility.

The guru-shishya tradition is particularly important in modern times as the disrespect for teachers and deteriorating teacher-taught relation has become a worldwide concern.

May I wish all students and teachers a very happy Guru Purnima celebration in 2026.

Dewan Chand Namadi Heights, Suva

Reporting line

Instead of the requirement for the FSC executives to report to the board, would it have been helpful if they were required to report to the farmers?

Mohammed Imraz Janif Natabua, Lautoka

Big secret

Reading the story about Rev Thomas Baker (FT 26/7) reminded me of the presentation made by one of the coup perpetrators about those who carried out the 2000 coup and who were planning to finish off their deed of debauchery with a last cannibal feast and celebration.

Has anyone asked who was going to be on the menu?

Or is that a big secret too, just like the big secrets about who were behind the coups.

Jan Nissar Tokyo, Japan

A reality check

The Junior Bula Boys were given a reality check at the OFC U-16 Men’s Championship by the Junior All Whites who triumphed 5-0 and claimed their 12th tournament title.

Our boys qualified for the U-17 World Cup for the third time, but they were a mismatch for the opposition who were a class in terms of physical build, structure, passing, composure, skills, flair and confidence.

The match was won by the Junior All Whites in the first half as they led 3-0. Their dominance over the Junior Bula Boys was evident as they controlled possession and converted them into goals.

At the PNG Football Stadium in Port Moresby, we were outclassed by the defending champions — an unbeaten outfit who scored 24 goals.

Nothing to be taken away from the boys!

It’s back to the drawing board! Let’s polish things before we face giants Morocco, Spain and China in pool play in Qatar in November.

We are racing against time, but that should not hinder our preparations.

Please FFA, let the boys prepare well so they don’t embarrass themselves!

Rajnesh Ishwar Lingam Nadawa, Nasinu

Foul air

We read in Rolling Stone “Trump may be to blame for less accurate weather forecasts” that “experts say gutting the National Weather Service means fewer weather balloons, which means less data” (25/7/26 ).

I say Trump may be to blame also for the foul smell in the air because every time he opens his mouth he farts out so much nasty stuff.

Rajend Naidu Sydney, Australia