CORRUPTION within the Fiji Police Force is an individual issue and not systemic, says Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police Meli Sateki.
A/DCP Sateki made the comments before the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence on Wednesday amid increasing public concern over allegations of misconduct, corruption, and internal investigations involving police officers.
“Corruption is not part of this organisation. It is an individual,” he said.
“There’s a lot of reports against police officers, but our internal process is currently taking care of those to ensure that the independent oversight is sanctioned.”
He said allegations of misconduct were treated seriously but must go through established procedures before any disciplinary action is taken.
“There is a process that anyone who is alleged, there is a case against a police officer on corruption and there is credible evidence.”
A/DCP Sateki said cases were first assessed internally before being referred to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions where necessary.
He added that when there is sufficient evidence, officers may be suspended to allow investigations to proceed. However, he said officers cannot be automatically stood down based on complaints alone.
“To send somebody directly home without having credible evidence is something that we don’t encourage, otherwise no one will be left to do the work.”
A/DCP Sateki said corruption investigations were supported through cooperation with agencies including the Fiji Financial Intelligence Unit, Customs, and international partners such as the Australian Federal Police and New Zealand Police. He said specialist units, including forensic accountants, cybercrime investigators and transnational crime teams, were also involved in complex cases.
A/DCP Sateki said the system was designed to ensure fairness while maintaining operational capacity.
“We leave no stone unturned when we are doing an investigation.”
