"[Ganesh] Chand having the FNU Decree 2010 amended with the assistance of Filipe Bole (as Minister of Education and FNU Chancellor) by inserting s46A. This amendment provided that the tax exemption granted to the Fiji National Training Council (FNTC) under s17 of the Income Tax Act was deemed to be applicable to FNU. The upshot of this amendment was that whilst FNU made some $14m profit in the financial year 31/12/13 (even after the $7m bad debts write off), it did not pay the Government of Fiji any tax on such profit but Chand made a windfall since his remuneration package became linked to FNU’s bottom line profit. The major beneficiary of s46A amendment was Ganesh Chand.
13. I came to work as Manager Finance Project (MFP) at FNU from Australia following my decision to return to Fiji temporarily and contribute to its economic development. I initially approached the Fiji Embassy in Sydney following Fiji Government’s change to its citizenship policy. I was advised that based on my qualifications and experience, there may be employment opportunities in the public sector. I recall making inquiries with Ganesh Chand, the Vice Chancellor of FNU who asked me to email him my CV which I did during 2010. Mr Chand is a close friend of my brother Vijay Singh of Melbourne and my friend Vijay Narayan of NZ.
14. Mr Chand then asked me to visit him to discuss any suitable roles for me. In June 2010 I met Mr Chand and Narendra Prasad (FNU’s Finance and Human Resources Director) at Mr Chand’s office in Nasinu. Mr Chand advised me that FNU would soon be advertising for the role of MFP which I should apply. Mr Prasad was supposed to send me the details of the role and the application procedure following the job advertisement. I recall Mr Prasad sending me only the job description for the role.
15. On or about 15/11/13 I was phone interviewed for the MFP role. Mr Prasad chaired the panel. I did not complete any FNU application form, nor address any selection criteria or sent any covering letter. I was later offered the role and signed my employment contract on 31/1/14. FNU later obtained work permit for me. I officially started my role on 7/7/14.
16. The job description of my role is wide ranging, but may be summarised as follows:
Providing and interpreting financial information;
Business modelling and forecasting;
Monitoring performance and efficiency;
Analysing change and conducting risk assessments;
Strategic planning and devising business plans;
Preparing financials and reconciling balance sheet items;
Monitoring cash flows;
Leading or working on projects;
Take responsibility for overall financial management;
Liaise and negotiate funding with donors;
Ensuring compliance with corporate governance, laws and regulations;
Ensuring all finances properly managed (including credit control);
Advise the Director Finance on appropriate matters.
Details of corruption and abuse of office at FNU
17. By letter and supporting evidence dated 15/9/14 I provided FICAC with eight (8) examples of corruption and abuse of public office at FNU committed by (or at the direction of) two of its senior officials namely Ganesh Chand (Vice Chancellor) and Narendra Prasad (Consultant Director of Finance and Director of Human Resources).
18. FICAC’s reference number to my complaint is 06471/2014.
19. Following interview on 3/10/14 by FICAC officials, by email dated 6/10/14 I provided names of fourteen (14) FNU employees/council members who all have been complicit in the corruption and abuse of office.
Further examples of corruption/abuse of public office committed by Chand/Prasad/council members
20. These include:
21.1 Writing off some $7m as bad debt in FNU’s annual financial statements for the year ended 31/12/13 despite my objections and without seeking prior approval of the Minister of Finance as required by the provisions of the Financial Management Act 2004 and in direct breach of s146 of the 2013 Constitution. Included in this write off appears to be the credit card debts of Chand/Prasad owe FNU that I mentioned in my initial complaint.
21.2 Creation of three Senior Manager Finance positions specifically for Shalend Anand, Saira Permal and Tavenisiga Togifa without any needs analysis for such roles, without any approval from the HR Committee, without proper compliance with policies and without merit assessment. These positions appear to be rewards to these 3 staff for being loyal to Chand/Prasad.
21.3 Purchase of Navua Farm by Chand without council approval for $1.5m contrary to independent professional opinion of FNU’s then Financial Controller Munish Malik. Following Malik’s dispute with Chand that he did not have the legal mandate to purchase the farm and/or dispute about the value of the Farm, Chand summarily dismissed Malik (after obtaining legal advice from Howards Lawyers for $4,000).
http://www.fijileaks.com/home/fnugate-as-ficac-dithers-on-a-raft-of-allegations-against-fnu-and-ganesh-chand-including-the-purchase-of-the-flagship-navua-farm-for-17m-it-is-rumuoured-that-cj-patel-and-company-are-after-the-farm
21.4 Chand having the FNU Decree 2010 amended with the assistance of Filipe Bole (as Minister of Education and FNU Chancellor) by inserting s46A. This amendment provided that the tax exemption granted to the Fiji National Training Council (FNTC) under s17 of the Income Tax Act was deemed to be applicable to FNU. The upshot of this amendment was that whilst FNU made some $14m profit in the financial year 31/12/13 (even after the $7m bad debts write off), it did not pay the Government of Fiji any tax on such profit but Chand made a windfall since his remuneration package became linked to FNU’s bottom line profit. The major beneficiary of s46A amendment was Ganesh Chand.
2.5 The conduct of council members Arvind Maharaj and Uday Sen, colluding with Chand/Prasad and obstructing me to expose Chand/Prasad’s corrupt conduct and abuse of office. I have already forwarded the email to Uwate Butiniseva of FICAC that I wrote to Maharaj and copied to Sen. In this email I provided some information of abuse and corruption after Maharaj specifically asked me for such information. I later found out that both Maharaj and Sen provided the information to Chand who then used it to summarily dismiss me on 19/9/14, despite me having resigned from FNU on 20/8/14. Both Maharaj/Chand have been complicit with Chand/Prasad corruption since they have been council members in return for financial kickbacks by Chand (see details in my email of 6/10/14).
http://www.fijileaks.com/home/fnugate-two-fnu-council-members-uday-sen-and-arvind-maharaj-were-fifth-column-for-ganesh-chand-maharaj-fished-for-information-from-andrew-singh-and-passed-on-to-chand-for-him-to-cover-his-tracks
2.6 Unlawful or improper use of FNU funds by Chand to bring defamation proceedings against the media and FNU staff. These cases include Chand v Fiji Times [2011] FJSC 8/4/11 and Chand v Chand. In the former, Chand appealed against the decision of the High Court and later the Court of Appeal after both these courts ruled that the words published by the Times did not constitute defamation. The Supreme Court dismissed Chand’s appeal. Chand paid his lawyers for the Supreme Court appeal from the FNU funds, when the matter had nothing to do with FNU business. Similarly, the latter case, Chand sued FNU employee Pushp Chand who had made complaint of corruption against him to the PM‘s Office and FICAC. Chand funded this litigation through FNU monies, when the litigation was personal to him. He then pocketed the damages that were granted against the defendant in the matter.
(http://www.fijileaks.com/home/fnugate-fnus-former-manager-finance-projects-to-ficac-ganesh-chand-paid-his-lawyers-legal-fees-from-fnu-funds-when-the-defamation-case-was-personal-to-him-chand-also-pocketed-damages-granted-to-him)
2.7 Chand “forging” the signature of Professor Ian Rouse (Dean of the College of Medicine) to appoint a Litia Makutu for a position during August 2012 despite Professor Rouse earlier expressing serious concerns to Prasad (as director HR) that Ms Makutu was not the ideal candidate on the merits. Professor Rouse then wrote to Chand on 13/8/12 reiterating his concerns and requested the case be referred to the FNU’s HR subcommittee (copy letter on my file) for an independent review. He was rebuffed by Chand. It later transpired that Ms Makutu was a relative of Filipe Bole – the core reason why Chand/Prasad appointed her.
http://www.fijileaks.com/home/fnugate-now-it-emerges-that-ganesh-chand-had-forged-professor-rouses-signature-to-appoint-a-relative-of-then-education-minister-bole-to-a-job-she-was-not-qualified-on-merit
2.8 Chand interfering with FNU investigations into sexual harassment of female students and staff at FNU Labasa Campus. During September 2012 a female student emailed the details of the sexual harassment allegedly committed by Pradeep Lal to the PM’s Office which referred it to Chand. Chand supressed all the investigations and later derailed any attempts by Police to revive the case. The alleged Pradeep Lal is Chand’s brother. Copy of student email to PM’s Office detailing the sexual harassment on my file.
http://www.fijileaks.com/home/fnugate-sex-attack-cover-up-chand-allegedly-blocked-police-probe-and-prime-ministers-office-looked-the-other-way-for-suspect-was-brother-of-chand-at-fnu-labasa-camp
2.9 A scandal at FNU Meteorological School by a parent of a student is brought to the attention of the PM’s Office during September 2012. The matter is referred from PM’s Office to the Office of Education Minister Filipe Bole. On 5/9/12 Bole write’s to Chand in the following terms – “Ganesh – give me something firm to appease this parent and probably several others”. It later transpired that the person at the centre of the scandal Miss Priya Singh was Chand’s mistress. Copy of student email and Bole’s file note on my file.
http://www.fijileaks.com/home/fnugate-filipe-bole-to-ganesh-chand-ganesh-give-me-something-please-to-appease-this-parent-and-probablyparents-scandal-at-fnu-meteorological-school
2.10 On 23/4/12 a petition by some 42 FNU students was sent to the PM’s Office, seeking an urgent investigation into corruption and abuse of power at FNU’s National Training & Productivity Centre (NTCP). On 2/8/12 the PS to the PM’s Office sent the petition to the PS for Ministry of Education Brij Lal (a FNU council member) seeking full investigation into the matter and a report. Lal passed the matter to Chand on 7/8/12. Chand flipped it over to Filipe Bole. Nothing happened. Details of the correspondence is on my file.
DATED at Suva, Republic of Fiji on the 20 August 2014 and provided to FICAC on the 20 November 2014 at its Suva Office in the presence of its officers Uwate Biutaniseva and Isireli Tagicaki.
ANDREW MOTI SINGH