UNITY Fiji leader Savenaca Narube says the Commission of Inquiry into the appointment of former FICAC Commissioner Barbara Malimali may have become a costly exercise for taxpayers but believes it was necessary.
He said this while also questioning the competence of Government’s legal advisers and suggesting Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka seek external legal advice on the next steps.
Mr Narube said the legal issues highlighted by the recent High Court ruling should have been identified and addressed before the Government acted on the Commission’s recommendations.
He said the questions in the High Court ruling surrounding the commission centred on two areas – the powers and authority granted to it and the process used by the Prime Minister to implement its recommendations.
“These two technical legal issues should have been known by any competent legal adviser to the PM,” he said.
He questioned what legal advice had been provided to Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and whether that advice had been followed.
“What we do not know are: what was their advice and did the PM heed it?” Mr Narube maintained that establishing the commission was the right decision.
“In my view, appointing the COI was the right thing to do,” he said, citing concerns that Ms Malimali’s appointment was being rushed to stop investigations and possible prosecutions involving senior Cabinet members.
He said he fully supported the need for natural justice and due process.
He also defended the commission’s findings, saying there was no value in “shooting the messenger” after the inquiry identified 10 individuals described by the commissioner as “crocodiles”.
Mr Narube said the Government’s response to the High Court ruling would now depend heavily on the quality of legal advice it receives.
