Suspended Director of Public Prosecutions Christopher Pryde has responded to Acting Chief Justice Salesi Temo’s claims that he had stolen taxpayers money.
In a statement, Mr Pryde said Justice Temo comments which he labelled as defamatory could not be left unchallenged.
“On October 7, 2024, the Chief Registrar, as secretary of the Judicial Services Commission of which the acting Chief Justice is the head, sent a letter to my lawyer stating that “having considered all material at hand, has decided to make an offer of settlement …”,” he claimed.
“I refused this offer of settlement because I insisted that I receive a letter from the President exonerating me but he refused to agree and so the offer was withdrawn. If the acting Chief Justice was of the view that I had “stolen” from the taxpayers then surely he had a duty to call in the police or refer me to FICAC.
“Instead, the acting Chief Justice was prepared to spend taxpayers’ money to make me go away and avoid the Tribunal hearing.”
He said he had already stated the decision of the Tribunal to hold the hearing in circumstances when the acting Chief Justice acted unilaterally and unlawfully to suspend his salary would violate his constitutional right to administrative fairness.
“It would also violate the mandate from the President to the Tribunal to be fair and just and it is a violation of International Labour Organisation conventions ratified by Fiji.
“The Tribunal should not have proceeded to hold the hearing in my absence and this position is supported by the Fiji Law Society.”
