AN AUDIT report into the management and operations of Walesi has remained with the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) for about a year, with Government maintaining that it has completed its role and the next steps now rest entirely with the country’s anti-corruption watchdog.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Industry, Commerce, Business Development and Public Enterprise Manoa Kamikamica confirmed the report was still with FICAC and said the commission was responsible for determining whether criminal investigations or prosecutions would follow.
“All the findings have been submitted to FICAC, so it’s really FICAC’s chance to deal with it,” Mr Kamikamica said.
Asked when the public could expect charges, he said the Government could not interfere with the work of an independent investigative body.
“The report has been sitting with them for easily, I think, 12 months, but maybe more.”
Mr Kamikamica said the findings first needed to be assessed and verified by FICAC before any further action could be taken.
“The Government has completed its part by submitting the findings to the commission.”
The report is understood to have examined both the technical implementation of Fiji’s Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) project and the financial management of Walesi Pte Ltd.
In December 2024, FICAC confirmed receiving the audited report from Mr Kamikamica and said the referral would be treated as a priority while investigations proceeded in accordance with its established processes and procedures.
Then commissioner Barbara Malimali also appointed a special taskforce to investigate the matter after the Office of the Auditor-General’s Special Audit identified significant concerns surrounding the multimillion-dollar project.
The audit found that Government had disbursed a total of $123.6million between 2015 and 2022 to fund the Digital Terrestrial Television project and the operations of Walesi.
Among the findings were concerns that approximately $80million, or about 68 per cent of total expenditure, reflected weak governance, poor planning or possible misuse of public funds. Auditors also questioned $9.3million in payments that lacked sufficient documentation to verify their purpose or compliance with procurement requirements.
The report further highlighted concerns over more than 200,000 Walesi receiver boxes that had reportedly become technologically obsolete within a year of procurement, raising questions over planning, value for money and long-term project management.
The technical assessment also identified operational shortcomings, including the absence of key operating licences during parts of the project’s implementation, while naming several private entities whose dealings with Walesi were considered significant enough to warrant further investigation.
Despite the scale of the audit findings, no charges have been announced.
Whether the audit findings ultimately lead to criminal prosecutions will now depend on FICAC’s assessment of the evidence and whether it determines that offences under Fiji’s anti-corruption laws can be substantiated.
