OPPOSITION MP Pio Tikoduadua told the Parliamentary Privileges Committee that he had never organised a function for Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama’s family at home while he was his commander.
Mr Tikoduadua served as Mr Bainimarama’s personal staff officer (PSO) while the Prime Minister was the Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces.
According to the verbatim record of the proceedings, when responding to questions from committee members about a matter of privilege against him, Mr Tikoduadua said his relationship with the commander was based on his work.
Mr Bainimarama had claimed in Parliament that he was personally attacked by Mr Tikoduadua.
Describing his previous role in the RFMF as Mr Bainimarama’s personal staff officer (PSO), according the verbatim record, Mr Tikoduadua told the committee during their meeting on September 3, “I assist the commander in looking after his office. I am his personnel staff officer. As the work is like the ADC, that is what I do”.
“My job as a personal staff officer is to look after the private matters of the commander, including his office at work, meaning, I will start with his work. Everything that comes to the commander goes through my eyes. I tell him and give him my opinion on what I think it is.
“I have never organised a function for the family at home. I have always organised functions for the commander in the barracks. I get invited by the commander to go home for a bowl of grog or something.”
He said on those occasions, he would then meet the PM’s wife, Mary, and their children.
Mr Tikoduadua added that he knew the PM very well and for the dignity of the “Honourable Prime Minister, I would ask the committee and discretion to tread very well unless they want it on public record”.
