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FBC CEO Riyaz Khaiyum reportedly tells him to "get lost"; Raj phoned to demand answers as to why station named him as police cell prisoner; Fiji media unmasked him after police confirmed Fijileaks story!

18/1/2015

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CRY BABY: MIDA chairman Raj complains to Police Commissioner the way Samabula Police "treated and locked him up in a cell" - he will appear in court on 13 February charged with annoyance!

17/1/2015

25 Comments

 

Police cell news goes viral: Raj provides ready copy to cartoonists:

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RESIGN NOW AND WAIT FOR YOUR DATE WITH COURT!
He won't resign for the coward knows that if he does, he will be revealing his identity!

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MATCH SERVER:
The victim he was shouting at in "a drunken infirmity state of mind" turned out to be an Indo-Fijian
FEMALE Government Lawyer who called the POLICE! He was thrown into a cell when he began abusing police!

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By VICTOR LAL

IN an attempt to avoid being hauled before the court the next day after a night in the Samabula Police Station cell the MIDA chairman Ashwin Raj has lodged a complaint against his police "jailors".
In a statement Police Commissioner Ben Groenewald said the person concerned (Raj) has also lodged an official complaint against the alleged manner his case was handled by police.The matter has been referred to the Internal Affairs Department for investigation.

Fijileaks
sources in the Fiji Police High Command said Raj had bought a house in 21 Kikau St, Samabula. It is believed he had a prior arrangement with the previous owner, a Government lawyer for her to stay in the house after the sale for some months. Raj allegedly came home drunk and started swearing at the lady lawyer who works for the Government.

Police were called and he was arrested and taken to Samabula Police Station. He became abusive to police and started swearing at them. Police locked him and he was later bailed without appearing in court. Raj will appear in court on the 13th of February 2015. The "Bully Boy" so used to reading excerpts from the Media Decree to journalists, both local and international (including trying to bully Fijileaks), finally met his match when the Government lawyer read to police the "chapter and verse" from the criminal justice act - they had no choice but to LOCK him up in a police cell and when he sobered the next day they charged him with annoyance.

Let us see how long will this "Media Rottweiler" continue to avoid JUSTICE!

Fijileaks Editor to MIDA chairman Raj: RESIGN and wait to face COURT!

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Remember Raj - Bainimarama standing by POLICE: “At the end of the day, I will stick by my men, by the police officers or anyone else that might be named in this investigation. We cannot discard them just because they’ve done their duty in looking after the security of this nation and making sure we sleep peacefully at night.”
Fijileaks to Raj: The Police Locked You Up so that your Victim - The Lawyer - and Her Neighbours-  Could Sleep PEACEFULLY  from a bully of a man!

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LOOK AT ME, CAN YOU SEE MY FACE?
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Fijileaks: He has been bailed to front court on Friday the 13th, 20015

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CHARGED: Police sources say MIDA chairman Ashwin Raj has been charged over altercation with a couple - local media too scared under the decree to report but waiting for him to appear in court!

16/1/2015

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Police no longer frightened of this Goebbels jackboot of terror!

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14 Comments

LOCKED UP: MIDA chairman Ashwin Raj reportedly spends night in Samabula Police Station cell - police sources say "drunk and disorderly behaviour" charges must be laid against him

16/1/2015

3 Comments

 
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Police sources tell Fijileaks in plain English:
"We locked him up in a cell - Thursday Evening Fiji Time, Editor"

Why wasn't HE produced before a Magistrate the NEXT DAY?
And why hasn't the LOCAL MEDIA reported on the biggest story - are they still afraid of this regime Rottweiler?

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GENEVA: Among Fiji's most powerful lawmakers - the Chief Justice of Fiji, the Director of Public Prosecutions and Attorney-General and Minister for Justice - Let us hope it will not turn out to be another "Bala" case in Fiji?
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WHAT DO YOU WANT? Aren't you chaps supposed to be setting example to your sub-ordinates - that drinking while on duty is an offence - civil servants are not allowed to swipe a bowl of grog these days - beer and drunken and disorderly behaviour is approved at the camp! Its outside the Officers Mess - from where Bainimarama made that famous cassavapatch dash for his life leaving behind the sub-ordinates to save the day!
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By MICK BEDDOES

Correcting the Lasulasu of Nemani Delaibatiki’s Fiji Sun Page 3 report on the imposed ‘New Funding System for Political Party offices and staff’


Firstly, I would like to Kerekere Nemani Delaibatiki to please take a break from consulting his keyboard and the Vosa Vaka Varada’ and come and visit us at the Opposition Offices to receive firsthand the facts so he can start writing articles with ‘Facts’ rather than the litany of ‘Lasulasu’ that has become his trademark.

Lasulasu No 1: Quote: ‘The Secretary General of Parliament has done the Opposition a favor by increasing the Opposition 2015 Budget allocation from $10,000 to $15,000 per Member of Parliament. She made the decision after the Opposition said the $10,000 was not enough to meet the operating costs of its Office’ Unquote

Na Kena Dina:  The Opposition never said in any communication with the SG that the $10,000 was inadequate; the decision to change the amount from $10,000 to $15,000 was done by the SG on the directive of the Finance Minister.

Our letter dated December 22nd to the SG, was in response to the one and only meeting we had with the SG on budgeting, which was on December 22nd 2014. At that time the Budgeting System in force was the normal funding of Budgets from the approved Parliamentary Budget.

The attached response to our letter from the SG dated December 23rd acknowledged our letter and stated quote ‘I shall convey your concerns to the Permanent Secretary for Finance for his consideration’ Unquote this clearly shows her decision would be subject to the direction of Ministry of Finance, in contravention of Sec 79 (6) of the constitution.

Lasulasu No 2: ‘Quote: ‘the other issue in the Oppositions favor includes the following: rent free offices, fully furnished office, free power and water’

Na Kena Dina: Parliamentary offices and facilities are part and parcel of the facilities provided to Members of Parliament, there are three political parties in Parliament and each of them has to be accommodated. This is no different to the office that Nemani Delaibatiki has assigned to him where he spends all day consulting his keyboard or anyone else who is engaged by an organization to do administrative work; this is not something that is provided as a favor to the Opposition it’s a basic requirement. Unless of course Nemani thinks it would be appropriate for the Opposition to set up its offices outside on the grounds of Parliament, under the palm trees?

Lasulasu No 3: Quote: The increase busted the budget of Parliament and forced the Secretariat to readjust other spending’

Na Kena Dina:  The total increase in changing the amount from $10,000 to $15,000 in her allocation for the Opposition is $90,000. This represents just 1.04% of the approved Parliamentary Budget. This has absolutely no impact what so ever on the $8.6 million Budget of Parliament.

Lasulasu No 4: Quote: ‘The new funding arrangement has saved Mr Beddoes’s job as the Chief Administration Officer in the Opposition Office’  ‘Opposition Leader Ro Teimumu Kepa has stood by him over his controversial nomination’ When the question of Mr Beddoes’s eligibility to manage the office came up because he was over the civil service retirement age of 55, Ro Teimumu defended him’ ‘the debate was whether the process should be subject to civil service rules because public funds were involved. If Mrs Namosimalua went the other way, then Mr Beddoes would have been ruled out’

Na Kena Dina: My position as Principal Administrative Officer was confirmed by the Secretary General on December 19th 2014, so the imposed new funding arrangement did not save my position, nor does it have any bearing on it. I am humbled by the support of Ro Teimumu Kepa. It shows that she is loyal to those of us who have the privilege of serving as members of her staff. As for my being over 55 years, almost all of Governments current crop of Ambassadors and many Civil Servants are over 55 years old. Why my appointment took ten weeks to be processed, I don’t know. Perhaps Nemani might want to get a list of every civil servant including me published with our ages and showing how long each one of our appointments took to get approved. I’m willing to bet, mine took the longest?

Lasulasu No 5: Quote ‘The alleged interference by the Minister for Finance is nonsense. Discussions between the Minister and other Ministries or departments are part and parcel of Government functions and dynamics. The allegation by Ro Teimumu is part of an Opposition obsession that the Minister for Finance dictates many things. This is not true’

Na Kena Dina: I was the one who the Secretary General visited on December 30th 2014 and when advising me of the change in funding she stated that it was a directive from the Minister. She had a letter in her hand when she was speaking which I asked her to put it in writing and to enclose a copy of the Minister’s letter.  I have email communication between myself and the SG that confirms that the letter exists and the Government statement on January 14th refuting our claims states in point 10. Quote ‘Contrary to the recommendations of the Minister of Finance in his 24th December letter to the Secretary General to make an allocation of $10,000, per member per annum, the Secretary General in her discretion decided to allocate $15,000 per member per annum. Unquote

We are not questioning the quantum; or the Secretary General’s right to allocate funding from the approved Budget, we are questioning the breach of Sec 79 (6) that states ‘the Secretary General shall not be subject to the control or direction of any person, or authority except the Speaker or a court of law or as otherwise prescribed by written law’.

The Minister of Finance’s letter of December 24th which the Government acknowledges in its own statement as quoted above is in contravention of the Constitution and that is our objection. These are the facts; it is not an obsession as Nemani claims, but a simple matter of stating the facts.

Lasulasu No 7: Quote ‘In this case the increase in funding was Mrs Namosimalua’s decision. The formula used to determine the funding structure is fair because it is proportionate to the number of seats in Parliament.

Na Kena Dina: The formula proposed has no bearing or relevance to the budgetary needs of the operations of the Parliamentary offices of the Political Parties. A case in point is the NFP, its current costs per annum for its staff and operational needs is $75,000 [all approved by the Secretary General herself last year] the new formula gives them $45,000, so they have a short fall in funding of $30,000 per annum. How is this fair?

Fiji First on the other hand has only two staff manning their offices and there are only twelve backbenchers as the remaining twenty members are Cabinet and Assistant Ministers, so their costs are provided via their Ministerial Budget allocation. To again be assigned $15,000 each from the Parliamentary allocation in addition to what their Ministerial Budgets cover is what is commonly called ‘double dipping’

Even if we used the current SODELPA cost of operation for a year with six staff which is budgeted to be $220,386 and applied it to the Fiji First allocation of $480,000 per annum, they will have a minimum surplus of $259,614 every year for the next four years which will give them a minimum of $1 million surplus to their needs.

We seek only to have our operating costs covered, any surplus must be returned to Consolidated Funds as is the requirement for Government funding.

Authorized By:                          
Mick Beddoes                                      
January 16th 2015


See Delaibatiki's article:
http://fijisun.com.fj/2015/01/16/opposition-gains-ignored-in-office-funding-uproar/


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MEDIA DECREE MUST GO: Professor Biman Prasad wants free, fair and credible media; Government zips up - it won't comment on the issue!

16/1/2015

11 Comments

 
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Fiji’s future as a social, economic and politically stable nation cannot be guaranteed unless freedom of expression is expressed through a free, fair and credible media.

We firmly believe this is not pessimism but a reality.

The media industry in this country has been under siege since the military coup of December 2006.  For more than  5 years, especially after the abrogation of the 1997 Constitution on 10th April 2009, have been turbulent and devastating for the media industry and media organisations.

The work of the media industry, especially after the start of the coup culture in 1987, has been remarkable, balanced, informative and impartial, except for a brief period after the 1987 coups.

However, the enforcement of media censorship under Public Emergency Regulations after April 2009 until January 2012 and the promulgation of the Media Industry Development Decree 2010 has seriously undermined media freedom.

Media throughout the world is generally regarded as the Fourth Estate – the last line of defenders of democracy, human rights, dignity and justice.

Article 19 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression. This right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through the media regardless of frontiers”.

This freedom and right is reposed in the people, which the State and politicians must respect at all times.

The Media Industry Development Decree is regressive and suppresses Media Freedom because it imposes restrictions and prescribes heavy penalties.

Government must through Parliament repeal the Media Industry Development Decree because we believe the media should not be regulated by the State or any Government.

The enactment of Freedom of Information legislation so that the media and members of the public have access to official Government documents in order to effectively promote accountability and transparency.

The restoration of Parliamentary democracy has seen little change in the behavior of large sections of our media and individual journalists.

The Media Industry Development Authority is essentially an enforcer of Government’s agenda as far as the media is concerned.  Just two days ago the MIDA Chairman  spoke about the need for focus to shift on freedom of expression and ethics. Words are mere rhetoric.  The MIDA Decree renders freedom and ethics meaningless.

And we will tell you why: -

Media Industry Development Authority

PART 2 of the Decree outlines the structure and functions of the Media Industry Development Authority. The minister appoints the chairperson and five other members, and can also remove them. This is an obvious and major conflict of interest.

Section 17 provides the Authority immunity from legal proceedings, civil or criminal.

While the media is bound by restrictive rules and regulations, the media authority can act with virtual impunity. Where is the balance and fairness government is preaching about? Where is the accountability?

Section 22 states content must not include material, which is (a) against the public interest or order; (b) against national interest; or (c) creates communal discord. This is a very broad provision open to interpretation by the government.  It is like a noose around the media’s neck. This provision is unnecessary because  offences are already adequately covered under Crimes Decree, under the Public Order Act on racial and religious vilification, hate speech, and economic sabotage.

Part 5, covering enforcement, allows the Authority to force the disclosure of specified documents or information as well as the right to enter, search and confiscate documents.

When its comes to breach of confidentiality, the standard practice in democracies is that it referred to the Courts, which rely on precedence, and can be expected, to come up with fair, impartial judgments. In Fiji, this function has been usurped by MIDA, which is controlled by government through appointments made by the minister. This is yet another noose around the media’s neck.

Media Tribunal
 
PART 8 deals with the Media Tribunal, which consists of a Chairperson – a qualified judge appointed by the President on the advice of the all-powerful Attorney General.

The Tribunal adjudicates complaints received from MIDA. It has to comply with the directions of the responsible Minister pertaining policy. The Tribunal also has to consider the Attorney General’s submissions during certain proceedings. This paves the way for the AG to potentially influence hearing. It makes hearings vulnerable to political interference.  It increases the level of government control and pressure on the tribunal. This is by no means an independent tribunal. It is tied to government in too many ways.

Part 10 details the powers of the Tribunal, including ordering fines of up to FJD100,000 against media companies; FJD25,000 against publishers/editors and FJD1,000 against other media employees as monetary compensation to complainants. Upon conviction for any breaches of the media code, a media organisation could be fined $100,000; a publisher/editor $25,000 and/or two years imprisonment; and a journalist or media $1000 and/or two years imprisonment.  This is over the top and unnecessary, especially when we have defamation laws in place. It’s an example of a duplicitous and tricky legislation – a waste of time and resources. Such payouts can ruin media companies and journalists. To protect themselves, journalists and media companies they will self-censor.

Media organisations can challenge decisions in the Court of Appeal, but only for awards in excess of $50,000. Media workers have no such options, even though the awards can lead to financial ruin in a sector where salaries are low compared to other professions. While the defendants have little recourse, complainants or the Authority can challenge Tribunal decisions in the Court of Appeal. This is another example of the lopsided and one-sided legislation designed to favour the government and give it control of the media.

No Justification
 
Government justified the media decree on social, economic and political stability. However, all that these restrictive provisions have done is push opposition views into anonymous online media platforms, where they have re-emerged in more extreme forms.

People have lost faith in the mainstream news media.  Instead, they are relying on blogs, where people are posting comments, some of which are   full of rumours, misinformation, incitement to racial violence, calls for revolution, hate crime and even terrorism. Government’s misguided media policy is to be partly blamed for this sorry state of affairs. In other words, the media decree has done nothing for social stability. In fact, it has increased tensions.
 
Balance

There is a  requirement that all news stories have to be balanced or they can’t be published.  This is a further sign of legislation gone mad. This provision has simply become a loophole to evade media scrutiny by not responding to media questions. But if a story is positive towards the government, this legal requirement is ignored without consequence. This is selective use of the media law by government for its own disadvantage. What we are saying is that the media decree is open to abuse by the State. The publication of the Fiji Sun today (Thursday 15th January)) running in entirety the whole Government response to the Opposition’s concerns regarding political party office resourcing without any balance and accuracy perfectly illustrates what we are saying.

Every international organisation of repute has expressed concern about the regressive and draconian provisions of the MIDA Decree.  The latest was the United Nations Human Rights Commission late last year.

Genuine democracy, equal citizenry, freedom of expression, accountability and transparency, which are ethics being paraded by Government, can only be achieved through a free, fair, credible and non-regulated media.

Biman Prasad

Leader

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REPENT: FTA told to offer "a little Matanigasau" to MOE and Reddy for all verbal attacks as Iowane Tiko (PEO, ESU, MoE) leaps to defend Eroni Loganimoce - but documents reveal he asked for the job!

15/1/2015

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Date:15/01/2015 8:20 PM (GMT+12:00)
To: [email protected]
Cc: Mahendra Reddy, Kelera Taloga ,Eroni Loganimoce ,Vijay Nath ,"Sunia K. Marayawa"
Subject: REFORM IN PARTNERSHIP


Dear Mr Leawere & FTA executives,

Eroni's appointment was decided within the MOE through normal appoinment powers vested within the MOE PS on the concurrence of the Hon. Minister. Eroni has proven his ability to produce what is wanted on time to the A/PSE and the Minister's table over the period of service.  In regards to this officer's qualification the MOE can only state the following for the FTA's information. That under Republic of Fiji Government Constitution 2013 , Chapter 6- State Services, Part A Public Service -Values & Principles clause 127 (7) - The PS of each Ministry shall have the authority to appoint, remove and institute disciplinary action against all staff of the Ministry, with the agreement of the minister responsible for the ministry.  This is in fact the power that was exercised by the MOE authority to appoint Eroni. Furthermore, clause 127 (8)-then states that the PS of each ministry, with the agreement of the minister responsible for the ministry, has the authority to determine all matters pertaining to the employment of all staff in the ministry, including-sub-clauses a) - d). We ask your good office Sir to please flip through the above clauses of the Republic of Fiji Constitution 2013, which is the Highest Law of the Land.  For that reason  and to answer the other points raised within your office's concern Sir we are confident to inform your good office that:

1. Eroni Loganimoce had qualified and was promoted to Principal Administrative Officer (Personnel) in 01/10/2012 from PSC and had proven himself to be a performer since then. Whilst in PSC he had formulated Policies on HR and even collated the “GO” and the “Terms and Conditions of Employment for Government Wage Earners.”

2. The authority is within Section 127(8) of 2013 Constitution therefore need not to seek PSC’s approval. Eroni has been performing exceptionally well even before he join the Ministry of Education. He is pursuing his Executive MBA in order to excel to higher positions in Government. Besides, he have; a Diploma in Economics; Registered Trainer; and an Executive Diploma in Leadership sponsored by PSC for all Directors and DSs in 2013 and Eroni was recognized because of his abilities and performance.

3. The 3 New Directors are savings from tradeoffs of position and are within the Ministry Budget provisions

4. Mr. Naleca has been side way transferred to ED1D position and therefore the PEO (ESU) is vacant.

5. AAO Busfare is a Project Post and is specifically for Busfare procurement and payments and was established  in January 2014.  The other AAO is an established position and are responsible for general Ministry’s compliance.

In stating the above Sir, The MOE is awaiting the FTA executives to practice a little show of respect and present at least a little 'matanigasau' to the MOE and its Hon. Minister after the serious of negative comments and unprofessional attacks voiced in the media and blog sites. Since when had we gone out there to be parties to dirty verbal attacks on the blog-sites? Blog-sites are not for professionals to be firing at each other. If the Union is serious about positively contributing to the development of education in Fiji and has a pure heart for caring for and enhancing education for the future generations of our beloved nation then we beg your good office to come and seek reconciliation with the highest office of education on the land. Lets not put to waste what good understanding and relationship that had been fostered previously by our union leaders whom have partnered positively with MOE to shape the Fiji Education system to what it is today.

The world is changing, and as Tom Friedman has demonstrated, it is increasingly flat. Globalisation is changing everything about how we work, how we communicate and ultimately how we live. It is critical for us in Fiji to note and learn that Financial responses and issues alone will not safeguard our economic and social well-being, and that substantial, strategic investments in education and a professional attitude to 'spartnership are essential to Fiji education system's long-term prosperity and to our success as a democracy. We cannot bail ourselves out of this crisis through continuously attacking each other unnecessarily for it will show the outside world that our teacher Unions and the MOE have got it ALL WRONG.  It is with due urgency that we need to foster partnership for the sake of our future generations to come.

May God BLESS FIJI, FTA and MOE

Vinaka Saka Vakalevu

Iowane P Tiko
PEO(ESU) for MOE

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CHAOS FOLLOWS: The new Education Minister Mahendra Reddy familiarizing himself with his ministry
3 Comments

REDDYGATE: FTA to Mahendra Reddy: 'What qualification does Eroni Loganimoce have for you to upgrade his salary from $39,452 to $44,068?'

15/1/2015

5 Comments

 

Fijileaks Editor: Coming SOON - Documentary evidence of FNU writing off Reddy's thousands of dollars debt on FNU credit card so he could stand for election as FFP candidate, and e-mails where he calls his fellow Minister and FFP general secretary - that "Kattu Minister" - meaning Khaiyum! "Fiji National University's operating grant will be $38.5 million" - Bainimarama in his 2014 National Budget Announcement (which Reddy claims he helped prepare with former FNU VC Ganesh Chand; but then robs Peter (students) to pay Paul (FFP) so he could stand for election)

Who else were abusing their FNU Credit Cards for Personal Gains? - Fijileaks will reveal them after we have dealt with THIS REDDY!

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Meanwhile, read below from FTA to Reddy - re Eroni Loganimoce:

Bula vinaka Mahen!


The Association has just learned the following:

· Upgrading Eroni Loganimoce’ s salary to $44068.00 from $39,452. What qualification does he have? Whose authority are you using to give him this payback and at the same time thank Eroni for being your yes –man? PSC should give you the go-ahead provided the increase is on merit.

· Why Eroni and not other senior staff who are on the same salary range? What is special about him? He does not even have the qualification and is yet to complete his degree. We are talking about procedural fairness and it doesn’t look that way.

· In your new reforms.. you have 14 Directors. In terms of remuneration, how are  they going to be paid and which funds are they going to use? Were these positions budgeted?

· PEO ESU is advertised and Mr Joeli Naleca was appointed against the position… this simply means that two officers, one position…does Mr Bainimarama know about this? And about PSC…were they advised as well?

· AAO Bus Fare looks after this special unit and now an added drain on the taxpayer by appointing another officer to this section… is this payback as well?

Mr Mahen, you have caused Basundra headache by your actions and you have made a lot of people suffer by your reforms and Ministry staff are not happy with you as they are being demoralised by your so called proposals.

I hope the PM does something to alleviate the suffering of the workers at MOE.

Mikaele Leawere
FTA

Fijileaks Editor to Reddy: Why concentrate on Hindi? Fiji is not Little India! Indo-Fijians need to learn Fijian:

Hindi-speaking teachers for maritime: Majority of those to be absorbed into the education system this year will be Hindi speaking teachers, says Fiji's Minister for Education Dr Mahendra Reddy. These teachers will be required to teach conversational Hindi in schools in the maritime areas. Reddy said they would try to push “non i-taukei teachers to the maritime areas.” Teachers will also be able to get their appointment letters from their respective divisional offices by 9am on Friday. A total of 653 new teachers will be absorbed by the Ministry of Education this year as they try to solve the problem of teacher-student ratio. Source: Fijilive, January 15, 2015
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5 Comments

Khaiyum’s pals at Tappoos get second fuel margin windfall in less than a month; Economists left scratching their heads as diesel margin powers through 4 percent for the first time under regime

14/1/2015

6 Comments

 
Fijileaks’ investigation of the questionable relationship between the country’s biggest fuel distributor, the Tappoo Group, and Aiyaz Khaiyum, the minister whose career Tappoos saved, was only published on Saturday. Incredibly it took just three days for the government’s own actions to underline our staggering conclusions as the Commerce Commission issued a new set of price control orders that raise the average margins yet again, even though prices at the pump are falling.

A new petroleum price order from the Commerce Commission, effective from this Thursday, has lifted the margin percentage on diesel to over 4 percent for the first time under this or the previous Bainimarama regime  – a rise of more than a quarter percent. Although the margin on unleaded has reduced slightly from 3.99 percent before Christmas to 3.92 under the new pricing, the average of the two margins is now 3.97.

http://www.commcomm.gov.fj/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/LN-Price-Control-Fuel.pdf


Twenty-seven days ago (when the December 20 order came into effect) the average margin was 3.88. It’s clear that the price at the pump needs to reflect the continued fall in global fuel prices (and any effect currency swings may have) so Fijileaks has no argument with the Commerce Commission moving quicky to issue a new set of orders.

But there is no economic rationale why the Commerce Commission have felt the need to raise margins again – just over three weeks after readjusting them upwards. There is also no economic rationale that explains their consistently raising fuel margins whether global oil prices were rising or falling over the past 18 months, when they spent the previous six and a half years keeping the mandate dprofit margin as low as possible.

The only rationale is the grubby politics of Khaiyum paying back Tappoos.

That Khaiyum is the apparent minister for everything in the Bainimarama government is thanks in large part to the Tappoo Group’s career-saving intervention in 2009, which saw the controversial Sigatoka conglomerate buy his $400,000-rated Berry Road property for more than $800,000 through a Tappoo investment vehicle. This saved Khaiyum losing the property as a mortagee default, which would have had consequences for his legal licence and his political career.

Which is why whis week’s generous January 2015 fuel price regime is a millions miles away from the pricing regime that Aiyaz Khaiyum was the minister in charge of before Tappoos took over the 16 fuel stations previously run by Carpenters. In July 2013 – the unleaded and diesel margins were 2.48 percent and 2.52 respectively, or an average of 2.5 percent. Less than a month after the September 2013 takeover by Tappoos, Khaiyum’s Commerce Commission issued a fresh set of petroleum orders that jumped the margins up to an average of 2.9 percent (3.09 and 2.71 for unleaded and diesel respectively).

And so it continues to this day.
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6 Comments

Sleight of Financial Hand: Aiyaz Khaiyum directs Secretary-General to Parliament to pay parties $15,000 per MP - in four years the FFP would pocket net surplus of $1.2million of taxpayers funds

14/1/2015

13 Comments

 
Fijileaks understands that Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum has torn up the rules governing the employment of staff for the political party offices in Parliament. He has now directed the Secretary-General to Parliament to pay $15,000 per member to the political parties.

The upshot of such arbitrary decision means that $480,000 will go to FFP, $225,000 to Sodelpa and $45,000 to NFP.

All rules governing staffing and conduct under civil service rules has been hurled out of the window and parties can hire any one they want and the plan is to let parties keep the surplus.

In four years FFP will have received $1.9 of taxpayers funds. The party has less cost of operating their office [only 2 staff  for 12 backbenchers) and the rest are Minsters and Assistant Ministers].

The FFP will net a surplus of $1.2 million.

Fijileaks Editor: STOP PRESS - See Letter below to Mick Beddoes that supports our contention; NFP has also received similar revocation letters for its parliamentary staff. While accusing Khaiyum of trying to render Opposition ineffective, NFP leader Biman Prasad says the S-G's action is ILLEGAL!
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13 Comments

FNUGATE: Sex attack cover up - Chand allegedly blocked police probe and Prime Minister's Office looked the other way, for suspect was brother of Chand at FNU Labasa campus!

13/1/2015

30 Comments

 

Fijileaks on behalf of THE VICTIMS: The former FNU Vice-Chancellor Dr Ganesh Chand's "Half-a-Million Dollar" golden handshake from the FNU Council to 'disappear' from FNU MUST be CANCELLED and FICAC must take him and other accomplices into immediate custody for QUESTIONING! Regime must explain why it turned blind eye!
We say to the Students and Parents: Don't Pay Your Fees until Dr Reddy RESIGNS and Dr Chand returns $1/2million to FNU Coffers, for we will be revealing more damaging materials on the two in the coming days!

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Fijileaks to Dr Mahendra Reddy, the Minister for Education and Chancellor of FNU: Explain to the nation via Fijileaks (not the local supine media who are not reproducing the FNUGATE, fearful of rottweiler MIDA chairman Ashwin Raj) what role YOU PLAYED in suppressing the sexual assault claims in 2012? For the e-mail was cc'd to YOU, and, oh, we are still waiting for a reply of your own alleged "kamasutra" frolics with a taxi driver's wife! Fiji Womens' Rights Groups must join hands with Fijileaks and the VICTIMS and take on these alleged  'sex perverts' hiding under the petticoat of academia and as Cabinet ministers!

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