But there are those who will retort that Civil Servants have duty to challenge, or at least point out, that certain orders are not in the spirit or letter of the law. Deportation of the Ahluwalias is nothing new in Fiji
We may recall the deportation of Fiji Sun publisher RUSSELL HUNTER in 2008, who was told that by publishing Interim Finance Minister Mahendra Chaudhry's $2million in the Australian bank, Hunter was 'a threat to national security'. And the Fiji Human Rights Commission argued that our Founding Editor-in-Chief who was the author of the $2million tax story had violated Mahendra Chaudhry's HUMAN RIGHTS. Ratu Epeli Ganilau, as Minister for Defense and Immigration in the Bainimarama interim regime, parroting from the same hymn book, claimed that Hunter violated immigration laws because he "was conducting himself in a manner prejudicial to the peace, defense, public safety, public order, security and stability of the sovereign state of the Fiji Islands".
"A foreign national living in a foreign country is not a citizen of that country and should always bear in mind it is not his right to be in that country but it is a privilege," Ganilau said. Ironically, once he had performed the deportation deed, Ganilau himself found being
DEPORTED out of Frank Bainimarama's interim government. In May, 2014, Ganilau re-appeared to provide a character testimony on behalf of currency convict Chaudhry but the Fiji High Court dismissed it, 'First, Ratu Epeli Ganilau, a retired army officer and Minister of State told the Court that when he was Chairman of the G.C.C. from 2001 to 2004 and as Minister of State from 2006 to 2011, he came to know MPC as a colleague. MPC was at the time the Minister for Finance when he (R.E.G.) was Minister for Fijian Affairs and Minister for Defence. R.E.G. found him to be an "interesting" person. He respected him as a capable, honest, meticulous and hardworking Government Minister. He was very knowledgeable with the machinery of Government and especially the financial situation, the sugar industry and he had impressive work ethic'.
History keeps repeating itself in Fiji
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BELIEVED HIM: All three defended Russell Hunter's deportation from Fiji. They wrapped sulu around Chaudhry
"The evidence before the Court is that the monies were provided by Indian well-wishers to enable MPC and his family to settle in Australia. MPC did not do that - his counsel tells me that he wanted to return to this country to continue his political life. The intent of the well-wishers' gift was as a result frustrated and MPC made the most of this "windfall" by investing it to his own benefit. It was never brought to the attention of Fijian authorities or of the Fijian public that he had been in receipt of those monies for some years...If the funds had been brought into the Fijian Inland Revenue at the time when they were paid by India into the accused's accounts, a time when they should have been; then the economy of this nation would have benefitted from having these funds in the current account and that benefit would have accrued to all Fijians. The only way to compensate the nation for the failure of the accused to comply with the law is to impose a large fine on him to bring money back into the revenue. Should he not pay that fine then he must serve a term of imprisonment in default. Counsel for the accused tells me that he would have brought the funds back into Fiji if the Reserve Bank had answered his letter requiring further and better particulars. This submission is disingenuous in that the accused's letter to the Bank was no more than a delay tactic – he had none-the-less been warned that he might be in breach."
Justice Paul Madigan, 2 May 2014, Fiji High Court
Rescind [Ahluwalia] deportation order:
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“By no stretch of the imagination can Prof Pal be considered to have “conducted himself in a manner prejudicial to the peace, defence, public safety, public order, public morality, public health, security or good government of the Fiji Islands” as stated in his deportation order. In fact, he stood for human rights, good governance and public morality when he exposed corrupt elements within the USP who were enriching themselves at the expense of the university." - Mahendra Chadhry
Rescind [Ahluwalia] deportation order: Fiji Labour Party
Labour Leader Mahendra Chaudhry has called for the deportation order against USP Vice Chancellor Prof Pal Ahluwalia and his partner to be rescinded and for them to be allowed back into the country.
“We strongly condemn the high handed manner in which the VC and his partner were arrested and deported,” Mr Chaudhry said.
The Prime Minister as Minister for Immigration ordered the deportation, declaring the couple prohibited immigrants under Section 13 (2) (g) of the Immigration Act 2003.
The Prime Minister must explain to a horrified nation, and the international community, why Prof Ahaluwalia had to be deported in this outrageous manner.
“By no stretch of the imagination can Prof Pal be considered to have “conducted himself in a manner prejudicial to the peace, defence, public safety, public order, public morality, public health, security or good government of the Fiji Islands” as stated in his deportation order,” Mr Chaudhry said.
“In fact, he stood for human rights, good governance and public morality when he exposed corrupt elements within the USP who were enriching themselves at the expense of the university.
“He is regarded as a role model and held in high esteem by the staff and students of the university and the people of Fiji. He was strongly supported by all the regional governments (except Fiji) in the recent controversy surrounding the affairs of the USP under the previous VC.
“How can such conduct be seen as a threat to the public safety and the defence and security of Fiji?” Mr Chaudhry asked.
“His deportation was in fact a well-timed move to pre-empt a USP Council meeting scheduled for tomorrow (Friday 5 February) which was to have decided the fate of the anti-VC elements within USP,” Mr Chaudhry said.
“I expect the USP Council to take a strong stance against such Gestapo-style behavior by the Fiji authorities.
“I call on the people of Fiji to protest in the strongest terms against such blatant abuse of authority to protect corrupt elements in our society.
“It is a clear case of politics of fear at work – an attempt to crush all forms of opposition and criticism against the FF government.
“I also call on our development partners and the international community to take note of the despotic behavior of the Fijian government and strongly denounce such violations of human rights here,” Mr Chaudhry said.
Labour Leader Mahendra Chaudhry has called for the deportation order against USP Vice Chancellor Prof Pal Ahluwalia and his partner to be rescinded and for them to be allowed back into the country.
“We strongly condemn the high handed manner in which the VC and his partner were arrested and deported,” Mr Chaudhry said.
The Prime Minister as Minister for Immigration ordered the deportation, declaring the couple prohibited immigrants under Section 13 (2) (g) of the Immigration Act 2003.
The Prime Minister must explain to a horrified nation, and the international community, why Prof Ahaluwalia had to be deported in this outrageous manner.
“By no stretch of the imagination can Prof Pal be considered to have “conducted himself in a manner prejudicial to the peace, defence, public safety, public order, public morality, public health, security or good government of the Fiji Islands” as stated in his deportation order,” Mr Chaudhry said.
“In fact, he stood for human rights, good governance and public morality when he exposed corrupt elements within the USP who were enriching themselves at the expense of the university.
“He is regarded as a role model and held in high esteem by the staff and students of the university and the people of Fiji. He was strongly supported by all the regional governments (except Fiji) in the recent controversy surrounding the affairs of the USP under the previous VC.
“How can such conduct be seen as a threat to the public safety and the defence and security of Fiji?” Mr Chaudhry asked.
“His deportation was in fact a well-timed move to pre-empt a USP Council meeting scheduled for tomorrow (Friday 5 February) which was to have decided the fate of the anti-VC elements within USP,” Mr Chaudhry said.
“I expect the USP Council to take a strong stance against such Gestapo-style behavior by the Fiji authorities.
“I call on the people of Fiji to protest in the strongest terms against such blatant abuse of authority to protect corrupt elements in our society.
“It is a clear case of politics of fear at work – an attempt to crush all forms of opposition and criticism against the FF government.
“I also call on our development partners and the international community to take note of the despotic behavior of the Fijian government and strongly denounce such violations of human rights here,” Mr Chaudhry said.
