FIJI: Corruption Commission preparing to charge prominent broadcaster
Updated
The Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption says investigations are continuing into two high profile cases involving ousted prime Minister Laisenia Qarase and former Fiji Broadcasting Corporation Chief Executive Francis Herman. The Deputy commissioner of the Commission, Lieutenant Colonel George Langman says they are just two of the 250 complaints the Commission is working on.
Presenter: Geraldine Coutts
Speakers: Lieutenant Colonel Langman, Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption,
LANGMAN: The investigation is ongoing, I cannot reveal what the allegations are, but we've interviewed the complainant for the last two weeks and we should be interviewing Francis Herman very shortly.
COUTTS: And the complainant is a single person?
LANGMAN: Yes that's right.
COUTTS: Does the anti-corruption commission go into such detail when one complaint's been made against a person?
LANGMAN: The investigation has led to other things and that's what we're concentrating our effort in and it'll lead back to Francis Herman.
COUTTS: Ok so how many other cases are you working on at the moment?
LANGMAN: Well so far from the beginning of this year we've received over a thousand complaints, and then they've been streamlined to 250 cases that we are working on.
COUTTS: And where do you get your cases from? Where do you get your briefs from? That's a lot of cases, 250?
LANGMAN: These are all the complaints that have been submitted in by the public and various government departments and reports from the Auditor General.
COUTTS: Is there one more common complaint than others? Are there similar kinds of complaints?
LANGMAN: Yes one of the common ones is the abuse of office.
COUTTS: And can you elaborate on that? What does that mean? Is that in public service?
LANGMAN: Yes abuse of office in public service, mismanagement of funds, nepotism and many other cases as well?
COUTTS: And what do you recommend, I mean do you actually bring charges or do you pass it on after you've deliberated and resolved or come up with a finding?
LANGMAN: Oh with the powers we have we can prosecute in our own right.
COUTTS: What does that mean? You take it to court?
LANGMAN: FICAC has the powers to do investigations and take the people to court.
COUTTS: Would it go through the DPP?
LANGMAN: No not necessarily.
COUTTS: The anti-corruption commission go directly to court?
LANGMAN: That's right.
COUTTS: And the courts would then deliberate?
LANGMAN: That's correct.
COUTTS: Now have you received any complaints about the fact that Chief Justice Daniel Fatiaki has been removed and not had his day in court if you like?
LANGMAN: Well I cannot really reveal the details on that, but we are investigating some very prominent office holders, both past and present.
COUTTS: And what kind of charges again are being alleged for them to have committed?
LANGMAN: Some of them have been tax evasion and others as well.
COUTTS: In one of the cases, more public cases is that of course of the ousted prime minister Laisenia Qarase. What are you up to with his investigation?
LANGMAN: Well I cannot really reveal that in detail at the moment.
COUTTS: It's ongoing or you dropped the charges, it's still being investigated?
LANGMAN: It's still being investigated.
COUTTS: And how long will it take before for instance with Francis Herman, do you think you'll have that resolved?
LANGMAN: With Francis Herman we should be wrapping it up very soon.
