One time coup buddies The Fiji Labour Party has called on the Political Parties Registrar and Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Saneem to disclose Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama FijiFirst party's sources of funds. Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry, who was also Finance Minister in Bainimarama's interim government in 2007, has called on Bainimarama and Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum to disclose actual salaries paid to them from April 2010 to date and to reveal the name(s) of those through whom the payments were made.
“The salaries declared by them are not what they were getting paid in the last four years. The amounts disclosed have been substantially reduced from what both were actually paid from April 2010,” Chaudhry said in a statement. He maintained allegations the prime minister and the attorney-general were paid around $1million each through a private accounting firm.
"We have also said that the arrangement was made clandestinely and was not acceptable government practice," Chaudhry said. "To this day our allegations have not been refuted by the two who have chosen to remain silent." He also alleged the assets disclosed by the FijiFirst party, of $636,000 "within just days of its formation under the very restrictive funding provisions in the Political Parties Decree" also raises questions about the party’s funding sources which have not been published as required under section 16(2) of the Political Parties Decree.
"We call on the Registrar to publish the sources of funds as required by law so that the people can get to know just who is funding the prime minister’s party," Chaudhry said. He also queried the publication of the declaration in small print alleging it may have been done deliberately "to discourage people from reading or analysing the good financial health of the newly formed FijiFirst Party." Meanwhile, in a note accompanying the declaration, Saneem stated he would, in due course verify the published particulars of FijiFirst in compliance with the decree. The note further invited members of the public to contact him via the FEO landline, 331-6225, if they feel particulars provided by the FijiFirst via their declaration were incorrect. Source: Fijilive
“The salaries declared by them are not what they were getting paid in the last four years. The amounts disclosed have been substantially reduced from what both were actually paid from April 2010,” Chaudhry said in a statement. He maintained allegations the prime minister and the attorney-general were paid around $1million each through a private accounting firm.
"We have also said that the arrangement was made clandestinely and was not acceptable government practice," Chaudhry said. "To this day our allegations have not been refuted by the two who have chosen to remain silent." He also alleged the assets disclosed by the FijiFirst party, of $636,000 "within just days of its formation under the very restrictive funding provisions in the Political Parties Decree" also raises questions about the party’s funding sources which have not been published as required under section 16(2) of the Political Parties Decree.
"We call on the Registrar to publish the sources of funds as required by law so that the people can get to know just who is funding the prime minister’s party," Chaudhry said. He also queried the publication of the declaration in small print alleging it may have been done deliberately "to discourage people from reading or analysing the good financial health of the newly formed FijiFirst Party." Meanwhile, in a note accompanying the declaration, Saneem stated he would, in due course verify the published particulars of FijiFirst in compliance with the decree. The note further invited members of the public to contact him via the FEO landline, 331-6225, if they feel particulars provided by the FijiFirst via their declaration were incorrect. Source: Fijilive
SO WHAT TOOK SO LONG? "No-one is surprised that when the Dictator Duo unveiled their income and assets, no multiple salaries could be found and no huge bank accounts were reported (in Fiji anyway). But the question remains – what took so long? If candidates for elected office are required to reveal their assets and income why shouldn’t holders of unelected office do the same as soon as they hold office and award themselves jobs and salaries? The suspicion will remain that they have tidied up their affairs to enable this little show and tell to go ahead. And even if they have made false declarations they still can’t be touched. While anyone else who makes a false declaration under the Parties Decree can be jailed, under their own tailor-made Constitution the Dictator Duo have get out of jail free cards. Section 157. of the Khaiyum Konstitution grants “Absolute and unconditional immunity” and that is, naturally, “irrevocably” to holders of illegal office. This doesn’t cover ordinary criminal offences, but this is not an ordinary criminal offence. It’s part of the special criminal offence of hijacking a state."
Full story from 2010: http://www.coupfourandahalf.com/2010/10/biggest-pay-reap-off-in-fijis-40-years.html
