 Temo |   Pryde |  Tikoisuva  Madanavosa |  Rabuku  Bainivalu |
Statement by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Christopher Pryde
Re: Second Set of Complaints Date: 14th February 2025
Re: Second Set of Complaints Date: 14th February 2025
1. On 6th February I received a letter from the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) acknowledging my response to the allegations made against me previously by Nancy Tikoisuva.
2. In their letter, the JSC advised me that there had been yet more allegations made by Nancy Tikoisuva since I was exonerated (the second set of complaints) and therefore granted me an additional three weeks leave in order to answer these newest allegations against me. The JSC also invited me to take further time if I required.
3. The next day on 7th February 2025 I responded to the JSC to advise that I would take up its invitation of an additional three weeks leave in order to concentrate on responding to the second set of complaints which are voluminous.
4. I further advised the JSC that despite the President’s directive on 7th January 2025 that all my entitlements should be repaid to me “immediately”, this has still not happened.
5. I also attached two invoices from AK Lawyers for legal services provided to me throughout the 21 months I participated in the Tribunal process before I was eventually exonerated.
6. As is usual in civil proceedings, the successful litigant would expect his costs to be paid by the complaining party, in this case, the Honourable Minister for Justice, Mr Siromi Turaga. I therefore respectfully requested that approval be granted by the JSC for me to be reimbursed my legal costs in full.
7. Despite repeated follow-ups, I have received no acknowledgment or response from the JSC to my letter of 7th February 2025.
8. I had also previously advised the JSC that I had delegated my authority under the Constitution to Assistant DPP Pauline Madanavosa. Throughout the past week, we were in regular contact and I was satisfied that the ODPP was functioning normally.
9. It was necessary for me to delegate my authority to Ms Madanavosa since the Chief Registrar, Tomasi Bainivalu, had informed me by letter previously that the Deputy DPP John Rabuku would oversee the operations of the ODPP during my leave. This was not possible however since three Supreme Court judges had earlier ruled that John Rabuku was ineligible under the Constitution to run the ODPP.
10. I was therefore surprised to learn through media reports earlier in the week that the JSC ignored my delegated authority and unilaterally and without the courtesy of first informing me, appointed Nancy Tikoisuva to act as DPP during my further leave of absence, someone I do not regard as suitable.
11. This decision made no sense and has caused further disruption to the smooth running of the ODPP.
12. Today, I sent a letter to the JSC responding fully to the second set of complaints by Nancy Tikoisuva since my exoneration in the hope that the JSC would see the urgency of responding quickly and finally determine that the continual succession of complaints to the JSC should come to an end.
13. I reiterated my contention that these multiple complaints are misconceived, baseless, and trivial coming as they are directly after the Tribunal exonerated me and when the JSC had been in possession of my personal file for 21 months. I again questioned why this second set of complaints are only now being brought up.
14. I said that it appears to be a tactic that complaints are “drip-fed” through the system in order to cause maximum disruption to the ODPP and in order to prevent me from resuming my duties.
15. I said that it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that all of these complaints have been brought with malicious intent in order to frustrate my return to the ODPP.
16. In a similar vein to the complaint by Siromi Turaga, who during my suspension continued to make defamatory statements against me both inside and outside parliament, it is obvious that Nancy Tikoisuva is, likewise, trying her utmost to publicly discredit me and besmirch my reputation as the DPP.
These latest complaints appear to be simply the latest front in a long-running campaign to prematurely end my term as DPP.
17. I strongly urged the JSC to do the right thing and dismiss the complaints and allow me to resume my duties without further interruption or interference.
18. Once more, I feel the need to apologise to the President, the Prime Minister, the Fijian people, and the staff of the ODPP for the delay in my return to work.
2. In their letter, the JSC advised me that there had been yet more allegations made by Nancy Tikoisuva since I was exonerated (the second set of complaints) and therefore granted me an additional three weeks leave in order to answer these newest allegations against me. The JSC also invited me to take further time if I required.
3. The next day on 7th February 2025 I responded to the JSC to advise that I would take up its invitation of an additional three weeks leave in order to concentrate on responding to the second set of complaints which are voluminous.
4. I further advised the JSC that despite the President’s directive on 7th January 2025 that all my entitlements should be repaid to me “immediately”, this has still not happened.
5. I also attached two invoices from AK Lawyers for legal services provided to me throughout the 21 months I participated in the Tribunal process before I was eventually exonerated.
6. As is usual in civil proceedings, the successful litigant would expect his costs to be paid by the complaining party, in this case, the Honourable Minister for Justice, Mr Siromi Turaga. I therefore respectfully requested that approval be granted by the JSC for me to be reimbursed my legal costs in full.
7. Despite repeated follow-ups, I have received no acknowledgment or response from the JSC to my letter of 7th February 2025.
8. I had also previously advised the JSC that I had delegated my authority under the Constitution to Assistant DPP Pauline Madanavosa. Throughout the past week, we were in regular contact and I was satisfied that the ODPP was functioning normally.
9. It was necessary for me to delegate my authority to Ms Madanavosa since the Chief Registrar, Tomasi Bainivalu, had informed me by letter previously that the Deputy DPP John Rabuku would oversee the operations of the ODPP during my leave. This was not possible however since three Supreme Court judges had earlier ruled that John Rabuku was ineligible under the Constitution to run the ODPP.
10. I was therefore surprised to learn through media reports earlier in the week that the JSC ignored my delegated authority and unilaterally and without the courtesy of first informing me, appointed Nancy Tikoisuva to act as DPP during my further leave of absence, someone I do not regard as suitable.
11. This decision made no sense and has caused further disruption to the smooth running of the ODPP.
12. Today, I sent a letter to the JSC responding fully to the second set of complaints by Nancy Tikoisuva since my exoneration in the hope that the JSC would see the urgency of responding quickly and finally determine that the continual succession of complaints to the JSC should come to an end.
13. I reiterated my contention that these multiple complaints are misconceived, baseless, and trivial coming as they are directly after the Tribunal exonerated me and when the JSC had been in possession of my personal file for 21 months. I again questioned why this second set of complaints are only now being brought up.
14. I said that it appears to be a tactic that complaints are “drip-fed” through the system in order to cause maximum disruption to the ODPP and in order to prevent me from resuming my duties.
15. I said that it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that all of these complaints have been brought with malicious intent in order to frustrate my return to the ODPP.
16. In a similar vein to the complaint by Siromi Turaga, who during my suspension continued to make defamatory statements against me both inside and outside parliament, it is obvious that Nancy Tikoisuva is, likewise, trying her utmost to publicly discredit me and besmirch my reputation as the DPP.
These latest complaints appear to be simply the latest front in a long-running campaign to prematurely end my term as DPP.
17. I strongly urged the JSC to do the right thing and dismiss the complaints and allow me to resume my duties without further interruption or interference.
18. Once more, I feel the need to apologise to the President, the Prime Minister, the Fijian people, and the staff of the ODPP for the delay in my return to work.
