BIMAN PRASAD's Year on the Run:
Since FICAC's decision on 5 September 2024 to caution him and lay charges but him vanishing from Ficac's charge sheet, Fijileaks has used the time to Uncover even more Irrefutable Evidence to support his Prosecution for False Statutory Declarations made between 2014-2024
  |   |
Lotus Blossoms of Forgetfulness. How NFP leader Biman Prasad ‘Forgot’ His 2014 Links to Lotus Construction (Fiji) Ltd to Enter Parliament.
*But Remembered Them When He Became Finance Minister in 2024
 |   |
Ten years ago, in 2014, Biman Chand Prasad walked into Parliament under the 2013 Constitution claiming to represent a “new era of transparency.”
He solemnly swore before the Commissioner for Oaths that his declaration under the Political Parties (Registration, Conduct, Funding and Disclosures) Decree 2013 was “true and complete.”
And yet buried in the fine print of his 2014 declaration is the smoking gun:
For someone who claimed he wanted to “clean up government" Prasad, the former Professor of Economics at USP, was already laying the foundations of double-talk politics-brick by brick, villa by villa.
2014: The Great Lotus Amnesia
Back in July 2014, Prasad’s statutory declaration (see pages above) lists his assets, liabilities, income, and directorships. Here’s what he didn’t declare
Under Section 24(1) of the Political Parties Act, candidates are legally obligated to declare all assets, liabilities, shareholdings, and business interests, whether dormant or active.Failure to do so?
Penalty: Fine of $50,000, imprisonment up to 10 years, or both.
This isn’t just a “technical breach”. It’s a knowing concealment.
2024: Suddenly, Lotus Matters: Fast-forward a decade.
By January 2024, Biman Prasad is no longer just the leader of the National Federation Party. He’s now Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance in Sitiveni Rabuka’s Coalition Government. And suddenly, Lotus Construction reappears in his declaration:
So what changed?
The Political Payoff
Why hide Lotus in 2014? Because the 2013 Constitution opened the door for NFP’s return to Parliament but only if its leaders looked clean. Prasad couldn’t risk:
So, he did what any calculating politician would do: “Forget” to declare it.
Ten years later, comfortably in power, Lotus was too big to hide, so he owned up.
But Fiji’s anti-corruption laws haven’t changed.
He solemnly swore before the Commissioner for Oaths that his declaration under the Political Parties (Registration, Conduct, Funding and Disclosures) Decree 2013 was “true and complete.”
And yet buried in the fine print of his 2014 declaration is the smoking gun:
- ZERO disclosure of his 5% (later increased to 50%) shareholding in Lotus Construction (Fiji) Ltd.
- ZERO disclosure of related-party transactions between himself, his cousin Sunil Chand, and Lotus Construction.
- ZERO disclosure of his two off-plan villas purchased from Lotus, later possibly flipped at a huge gain.
- ZERO disclosure that he was one of two directors of Lotus (Fiji) Ltd.
For someone who claimed he wanted to “clean up government" Prasad, the former Professor of Economics at USP, was already laying the foundations of double-talk politics-brick by brick, villa by villa.
2014: The Great Lotus Amnesia
Back in July 2014, Prasad’s statutory declaration (see pages above) lists his assets, liabilities, income, and directorships. Here’s what he didn’t declare
- Lotus Construction (Fiji) Ltd was incorporated in March 2014, three months before he filed his form.
- Corporate filings show Biman Prasad as a 5% shareholder alongside his cousin Sunil Chand.
- Lotus Construction acquired properties, including Lot 1 SO 5751 TLTB 32593 — valued at $5.6 million, while Prasad stayed mum.
Under Section 24(1) of the Political Parties Act, candidates are legally obligated to declare all assets, liabilities, shareholdings, and business interests, whether dormant or active.Failure to do so?
Penalty: Fine of $50,000, imprisonment up to 10 years, or both.
This isn’t just a “technical breach”. It’s a knowing concealment.
2024: Suddenly, Lotus Matters: Fast-forward a decade.
By January 2024, Biman Prasad is no longer just the leader of the National Federation Party. He’s now Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance in Sitiveni Rabuka’s Coalition Government. And suddenly, Lotus Construction reappears in his declaration:
- He proudly admits owning 50% of Lotus Construction (Fiji) Ltd.
- He declares Lotus’s $5.6m property, its ANZ loans, and his shareholding.
- He even remembers that Lotus “hasn’t paid dividends” yet, a detail he somehow forgot for 10 years.
So what changed?
- 2014: Lotus doesn’t exist on paper, as far as Parliament and the Fiji Elections Office are concerned.
- 2024: Lotus is a crown jewel in his empire, openly declared after securing one of the most powerful roles in government.
The Political Payoff
Why hide Lotus in 2014? Because the 2013 Constitution opened the door for NFP’s return to Parliament but only if its leaders looked clean. Prasad couldn’t risk:
- Questions over Lotus’s property acquisitions
- Allegations of conflict of interest with his cousin Sunil Chand
- Scrutiny over off-plan villa purchases at insider prices
So, he did what any calculating politician would do: “Forget” to declare it.
Ten years later, comfortably in power, Lotus was too big to hide, so he owned up.
But Fiji’s anti-corruption laws haven’t changed.
Burerua: From ‘Sole Owner’ Saint to Related-Party Seller
Biman Prasad forgot his Lotus in 2014, remembered it in 2024, and in between sold the Burerua house to his own company (with Lotus picking up the CGT tab).
 Lavi Rokoika | Why FICAC Acting Commissioner Lavi Rokoika Must Charge Fiji's Finance Minister by 9 September 2025. Better Late Than Never |   |
The charge sheet FICAC should be drafting now
Anything less is an invitation to every future minister to sign false forms, sell to their own companies, and get the company to pick up their taxes, then “remember” it all once they have the Treasury keys.
- Count 1: False declaration (2014): Misstating ownership of the Burerua property to the Fiji Elections Office.
- Count 2: Failure to disclose interests (2014): Non-disclosure of Lotus Construction connection, contrary to the Act.
- Count 3: Corrupt benefit/advantage (2016): Lotus paying CGT for the vendors, undeclared related-party benefit.
- Count 4: Abuse of office / conflict (continuing): Using a company linked to him in property dealings while a senior public/political office holder, without transparent disclosures.
- Referral to FRCS: To quantify true consideration, CGT computations, and whether additional tax, penalties and interest are payable.
- There are a host of other charges that we are ready to forward to FICAC/Fiji Police, and supported by evidence.
Anything less is an invitation to every future minister to sign false forms, sell to their own companies, and get the company to pick up their taxes, then “remember” it all once they have the Treasury keys.
Sunil Chand's Tender to Build 32 Nabavatu Homes Exposes Hidden Links: 2014 Lotus Villas Tie Biman Prasad to Undeclared Shares and Directorship
 Ditoka |  |
COMING SOON: An in-depth report on how SUNIL CHAND, a cousin of Finance Minister BIMAN PRASAD and a 50% business partner in Lotus Construction (Fiji) Ltd, established a new company, LOTUS PROJECTS Pte Ltd, on 13 February 2023. One year later, this new company submitted a tender to build those 32 homes for the relocation of the Nabavatu Villagers.
 |  |
When Conflict Meets Construction: Bid That Should Have Been Binned
*Sunil Chand’s brand new Lotus Projects Pte Ltd tried to win a government contract to build 32 Nabavatu relocation homes, leaning on a case study from Lotus Construction (Fiji) Ltd’s 28 Nadi villas but “forgetting” to disclose Finance Minister Biman Prasad’s 50% stake in Lotus Fiji.
*Backed by FNPF board member Adish Naidu of Yellow Architects and the Tui Dreketi Ratu Maika Rokobatidua lobbying on the “Sunil-Son of Dreketi” card, the bid exposes a textbook case of misrepresentation, conflict of interest, and a Tender Board too complacent to call it out.
*LOUD SILENCE from Minister and his PS:
Even iTaukei Can't Break the Wall
*Despite repeated queries, Minister Ditoka and his Permanent Secretary have remained silent, even after Fijileaks Founding Editor-in-Chief went to the trouble of writing to them in the iTaukei language to ensure absolute clarity. Apparently, so it seems, when it comes to accountability, translation isn't the problem, transparency is post 2022 election.
 |  |
*Ministry Demands 2022 & 2023 Audited Financials From a Company Born in February 2023. Was it Oversight or Favouritism in Fast-Tracking Sunil Chand's Nabavatu Tender.
*How could the Ministry handling the tender ask for audited financial reports for 2022 and 2023 when Sunil Chand’s own tender file clearly enclosed a certificate showing Lotus Projects PTE Ltd was only registered on 13 February 2023. Was this an embarrassing oversight or are other factors at play that allowed his application to reach the second round?
 |  |
Lotus Construction (Fiji) Ltd was formed in March 2014 with Sunil Chand and Biman Prasad as co-founders. Company filings show Prasad held a 5% shareholding and a directorship, yet failed to disclose both in his 2014 statutory declarations under the Political Parties (Registration, Conduct, Funding and Disclosures) Act 2013.
The tender documents presented by Sunil Chand highlight Lotus Construction’s history and the very villas built under Prasad’s watch but make no mention of his involvement. This omission underscores what now appears to be a deliberate concealment of financial and governance interests.
Under Section 24 of the Political Parties Act, knowingly filing a false or misleading declaration is a serious criminal offence punishable by:
This disclosure strengthens our repeated calls for FICAC, Fiji Police and the Fiji Elections Office to act urgently by arresting and charging Biman Prasad for knowingly making false declarations and benefiting from undisclosed related-party transactions.
The tender bid, meant to secure new contracts, may have instead blown open a long-hidden financial entanglement, raising profound questions about integrity, transparency, and accountability at the highest levels of government. Biman Prasad lied in his statutory declarations to enter Parliament in 2014. He must face the LAW.
The tender documents presented by Sunil Chand highlight Lotus Construction’s history and the very villas built under Prasad’s watch but make no mention of his involvement. This omission underscores what now appears to be a deliberate concealment of financial and governance interests.
Under Section 24 of the Political Parties Act, knowingly filing a false or misleading declaration is a serious criminal offence punishable by:
- Fines up to FJD $50,000
- Imprisonment up to 5 years
- Disqualification from Parliament
This disclosure strengthens our repeated calls for FICAC, Fiji Police and the Fiji Elections Office to act urgently by arresting and charging Biman Prasad for knowingly making false declarations and benefiting from undisclosed related-party transactions.
The tender bid, meant to secure new contracts, may have instead blown open a long-hidden financial entanglement, raising profound questions about integrity, transparency, and accountability at the highest levels of government. Biman Prasad lied in his statutory declarations to enter Parliament in 2014. He must face the LAW.
Fijileaks Calls for Urgent Inquiry into Sunil Chand’s Nabavatu Tender
*We call on the Rabuka Coalition government to immediately institute an independent inquiry into Sunil Chand’s tender to build the 32 relocation homes in Nabavatu, following fresh revelations linking Chand’s company, Lotus Construction (Fiji) Ltd, to Finance Minister Biman Prasad.
*Tender documents submitted by Chand highlight Lotus Construction’s 2014 villa project, yet fail to disclose that at the time, Biman Prasad was both a shareholder and director of the company.
*This raises serious concerns about procurement transparency and the possible existence of undisclosed conflicts of interest.
Fijileaks calls on the coalition government to:
* Launch a full, independent inquiry into the Nabavatu tender process. *
*Examine Lotus Construction’s 2014 shareholding records and Prasad’s role.
*Ensure public funds are protected and procurement laws are upheld.
*The revelations strike at the heart of government accountability, demanding immediate and transparent action.
From Fijileaks Archives
 |  |
OPEN LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER OF FIJI
Prime Minister, Act Now to Protect Public Trust
To:
The Honourable Sitiveni Rabuka
Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji
Dear Prime Minister,
Our Beloved Fiji deserves — and expects — a government that does not wait for criminal convictions before acting decisively to uphold integrity in public office. Allegations of financial misconduct at the highest levels of Cabinet threaten not just the reputation of your administration, but the confidence of every Fijian in the institutions that manage our economy, public finances, and development future.
A Question of Leadership, Not Just Law
Under Section 96(2) of our Constitution, the Minister for Finance serves at your pleasure, Prime Minister. You do not need a court order or criminal charge to remove a Minister whose continued presence in Cabinet undermines public trust.
In the face of credible allegations:
- Delay invites public suspicion.
- Inaction signals tolerance.
- Silence becomes complicity.
Public Trust Must Come First
We remind you of the principles enshrined in Chapter 5 of the Constitution — the Leadership and Integrity Code — which demands honesty, transparency, and accountability from all public officials, especially those entrusted with managing the nation's resources.
The Finance Ministry is not just any portfolio. It is the engine room of national development, foreign investment, and economic confidence. Any stain on its leadership taints the entire government’s credibility.
Our Call
We therefore respectfully and urgently call on you to immediately remove the Minister for Finance Minister BIMAN PRASAD from office and deliver him to FICAC so that they can charge him with the ten counts he was facing, and any other new charges that might arise out of our recent in-depth investigations into his directorship of Lotus Construction (Fiji) Ltd.
Lead with Integrity
Prime Minister, this is a test of leadership. Your government must rise above the politics of protection and act in the best interest of Fiji’s constitutional values and the public good.
The time to act is now.
Yours sincerely
Fijileaks Founding Editor-in-Chief
Prime Minister, Act Now to Protect Public Trust
To:
The Honourable Sitiveni Rabuka
Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji
Dear Prime Minister,
Our Beloved Fiji deserves — and expects — a government that does not wait for criminal convictions before acting decisively to uphold integrity in public office. Allegations of financial misconduct at the highest levels of Cabinet threaten not just the reputation of your administration, but the confidence of every Fijian in the institutions that manage our economy, public finances, and development future.
A Question of Leadership, Not Just Law
Under Section 96(2) of our Constitution, the Minister for Finance serves at your pleasure, Prime Minister. You do not need a court order or criminal charge to remove a Minister whose continued presence in Cabinet undermines public trust.
In the face of credible allegations:
- Delay invites public suspicion.
- Inaction signals tolerance.
- Silence becomes complicity.
Public Trust Must Come First
We remind you of the principles enshrined in Chapter 5 of the Constitution — the Leadership and Integrity Code — which demands honesty, transparency, and accountability from all public officials, especially those entrusted with managing the nation's resources.
The Finance Ministry is not just any portfolio. It is the engine room of national development, foreign investment, and economic confidence. Any stain on its leadership taints the entire government’s credibility.
Our Call
We therefore respectfully and urgently call on you to immediately remove the Minister for Finance Minister BIMAN PRASAD from office and deliver him to FICAC so that they can charge him with the ten counts he was facing, and any other new charges that might arise out of our recent in-depth investigations into his directorship of Lotus Construction (Fiji) Ltd.
Lead with Integrity
Prime Minister, this is a test of leadership. Your government must rise above the politics of protection and act in the best interest of Fiji’s constitutional values and the public good.
The time to act is now.
Yours sincerely
Fijileaks Founding Editor-in-Chief
