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PAC FALLOUT: ASERI Radrodro fights back as SODELPA's Vakatora  accuses him of being JUDAS over Biman Prasad's sacking: 'I was quite furious in the way I was ambushed by Biman in front of media'- Radrodro

15/5/2016

15 Comments

 

Explosive e-mail exchanges blow open the rift following Prasad's sacking as Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman:

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SODELPA MP and PAC Member, Aseri Radrodro:
"On Biman’s stance, I can only say that in my view, his resignation was his own making. After all I was left to wonder why he was so insistent on being Chair of PAC, and would not be content to just serve...someone should ask Biman and those like-minded like him to bring concrete evidences to back their claims and not just refer to what a third party says as the gospel truth...
"One only has to look at the verbatim of our meetings on the Ministerial salary issue e.g. to note my line of questionings and his! The evidences speak for themselves!!!!!! Watering down big time.
"As for the non-voting, Biman presided over the meeting and we performed accordingly to what we had discussed prior to coming to the PAC meeting."

"Needless to say I felt quite betrayed and let down by my party members who had in my mind colluded for me to be taken to task publicly and diverting the attention from Biman resigning, but who seemed to have taken Biman’s side over that of their
own colleague and fellow party MP."


"However since this email has finally emerged and the Judas statements by Tomasi [Vakatora] I will be forced to briefly state my facts. I only wish Tomasi  has some manhood to ask me this concerns in my face" -
Radrodro

"I will ask you in person or in your face Aseri when I meet you. There is nothing to fear and manhood does not come into it...Can we afford to have Judases amongst us if we seriously want to defeat the Bainimarama Government at the next election?...This is certainly not the end of the matter. Nothing has been cleared. The formal complaint against Aseri Radrodro including documentary evidence like the minutes of the Parliamentary Business Committee where Aiyaz Khaiyum revealed his discussions with Aseri should be investigated and appropriate action should be taken. There should be no attempt at cover-up otherwise SODELPA is just as bad or even worse than Fiji First. We are making allegations against them yet we practice the same set of standards. I have been aware of the allegation since the end of last year but have chosen to remain quiet because a process was supposed to be taking place but up to now nothing has happened. Dr Biman Prasad has now revealed in public what he knows as he is also a member of the Business Committee. This means that I can also talk about. I will ask you in person or in your face Aseri when I meet you. There is nothing to fear and manhood does not come into it." - Tomasi Vakatora

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SODELPA MP Aseri Radrodro, PAC Member:

"Earlier this afternoon, whilst en route back from a funeral in Tailevu, I received a call from the media, requesting for a comment on the allegations by Biman Prasad over what appeared in the Fiji village news. My reaction to them was that I was not going to engage in any mudslinging with Biman as a fellow PAC appointee from the Opposition side. However since this email has finally emerged and the Judas statements by Tomasi [Vakatora] I will be forced to briefly state my facts.

I only wish Tomasi  has some manhood to ask me this concerns in my face. Yesterday, my refusal to make any comments towards the allegations to the media during Biman’s press conference, was because I was quite furious in the way I was ambushed by Biman in front of the media.

"In fact, I was conversing with an Opposition staff when Laufitu Malani, walked to me and handed me her mobile phone saying that the Opposition Leader wanted to speak to me. I so then spoke to the LOP, and she asked that I join Biman at the press conference that was already underway in the conference room, to lend him my support. I agreed, as the PAC meeting by then had been adjourned.

Upon my entry into the Conference room, Biman immediately informed the media that I had complained to Government about him as Chair of PAC, and stated that the AG had quoted me saying so at an earlier meeting or something of that sort.
 
Biman then invited the media to obtain my comments in that respect. Because I was sent in the way I was I had to limit myself from giving in to a very strong urge to be confrontational with him, and so the best action to take at that time, was to bite my tongue and adopt a no comment stance instead of walking out of the room.

Needless to say I felt quite betrayed and letdown by my party members who had in my mind colluded for me to be taken to task publicly and diverting the attention from Biman resigning, but who seemed to have taken Biman’s side over that of their own colleague and fellow party MP.

Anyway, this matter was indeed brought up earlier by Mick Beddoes to the Investigation Team led by Emitai Boladuadua in the course of investigating the Gaunavinaka report last year. I had met with the committee then and informed them of the truth of what really had transpired, and gave them correspondences to that effect.
 
So, in this instance, I will suggest strongly that the Investigation team, brief those who wish to know what the outcome of the allegations against me was. As that will be to everyone’s best interest.

As for the non-voting, Biman presided over the meeting and we performed accordingly to what we had discussed prior to coming to the PAC meeting.
 
On Biman’s stance, I can only say that in my view, his resignation was his own making. After all I was left to wonder why he was so insistent on being Chair of PAC, and would not be content to just serve.
 
Kari bagi e via draiva tiko la ni basi ni Waiqele o tamana… tovolea mada nai dabedabe ni pasidia talega.
 
One thing that PAC has not been able to resolve is the Ministerial Salaries payment from a private company, for example when this were issues we had campaigned on during elections. So what has changed? After all, he has always been media cocky, yet to date, this matter in particular has been far from resolved, and nor has other pertinent issues in the OAG report.
 
One only has to look at the verbatim of our meetings on the Ministerial salary issue e.g. to note my line of questionings and his! The evidences speak for themselves!!!!!! Watering down big time.
 
I rest my case therefore and suggest that someone should ask Biman and those like-minded like him to bring concrete evidences to back their claims and not just refer to what a third party says as the gospel truth.
 
Have a Blessed day
AMR


"I understand that a formal complaint against Aseri Radrodro was lodged towards the end of last year at the time allegations in the so called Gaunavinaka Report was being investigated by the Disciplinary Committee headed by Emitai Boladuadua. The substance of that complaint is the same as what Biman Prasad had revealed in the story in Fiji Village yesterday. Could the President, the Vice-Presidents (who now seem to want to speak to the news media ) or General Secretary tell us why nothing has been done about the complaint? Can we afford to have Judases amongst us if we seriously want to defeat the Bainimarama Government at the next election? Tom [Tomasi Vakatora]


 ["It is unfortunate that the term Judases has been used in the query raised in this email. May I remind all that one of the most sacred principles of law  is the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. It  is also regarded as an international human right under the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights per article 11. Au sa kerea yani vakabibi vei kemuni na turaga kei na marama, meda veiwasei ena yalovinaka kei na rai e savasava ena vuku ni noda i soqosoqo. If you have issues against another party member or any of the authorised officers of the Party, etc. may I suggest that you raise your concerns with the General Secretary rather than discussing such issue via email forums such as this."
L.Q.Q. GS [Adi Litia Qionibaravi, Sodelpa General Secretary]

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15 Comments
Fair
15/5/2016 09:03:23 pm

In fairness: Why didnt Biman take forward the Ministerial Salaries and the Rewa Dairy matters? We kept wondering, and then found the answer. This will be revealed at an appropriate time.

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Fijileaks Editor to Builder
15/5/2016 09:50:12 pm

Your comment (and you know which one) is unprintable

Thanks
Editor

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Builder
16/5/2016 01:09:09 am

The core issue is: Did Radrodro talk to Khaiyum on PAC matters. Khaiyum said he did. This is on record. Can Radrodro confirm this. And if he did talk, what was the subject of the discussion? Was it to make a deal between Radrodro on PAC and a matter on which Radrodro has a personal interest on which Khaiyum has control? Also, under what authority did Radrodro talk to the master who wants to kill his own party? Did he have the sanction of his Leader? Did he have the sanction of Chair of PAC?

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Pita
16/5/2016 03:03:58 am

Tomasi Vakatora is correct to call for an investigation over comments purported to have been made to the AG by Radrodro in the business committee; Had the matter been deal with quickly Biman Prasad would not have had to confront him publicly before the media. So blame the Party leader for this.
Volavola has the right to feel aggrieved by being set up by the Party Leader, Biman Prasad and Lautitu Malani. But have been put on the spot in front of the media he should have shown the courage of his convictions and revealed to the media he's thoughts that he had expressed to the AG.
The problem is that Radrodro's views are coloured by racism as his reference to Biman in the Fijian language in this released statemen. Literal translation: "Curry Bhaigan wants to sit in the drivers seat of the PAC like his father's Waiqele Bus, and does not want to sit as a passenger."
Radrodro is one of the young turks of SODELPA like the alleged bus stop grafiti artist MP Bulivoro who flirt with the AG as if to curry favour. They can't be trusted.
Radrodro's speech in Naitasiri last year where he praised the Bainimarama Government shows where his true colors lie. He has been a disappointment as MP and this recent incidence confirms that. If he had any principles left he should resign.
Tomasi Vakatora is correct in what needs to be done by the party. He is also correct in pointing out the childishness in Radrodro's comment about "face-to-face" and "manhood.' Principles are far more important than outdated macho notions of manhood

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Builder
16/5/2016 08:47:58 am

Radodro is a racist. Why is SODELPA tolerating him. If SODELPA continues to entertain these kinds of people, it can kiss goodbye to its ambition of winning the next election.

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Thinker
16/5/2016 03:36:43 am

all SODELPA MP's are not United and Kai took advantage of it. Aseri should be kicked out.

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Pita
16/5/2016 07:01:13 am

What is unclear in all this is the role played by Lautifitu Taylor, Did she just happen to be there when her phone was used to was a means to convey the message from Opposition Leader, Ro Teimumu to Aseri Radrodro? Or was there a greater degree intent smacking on a conspiracy to set up Radrodro? This MP made serious allegations that Biman Prasad had "watered down" his probing into the payment of Ministerial salaries by the AG's aunt Nur Bhano Ali's private firm. The question is what would be Biman's motive?
Radrodro claims he was pushing strongly for the unearthing of the truth behind the payments.
While the spotlight is on Radrodro with Vakatora alleging he is the "Judas" what needs to be further clarified is firstly, did the AG declare his interest when the matter of his aunty's company was raised in the Business Committee? The minutes should show that. We recall that Qarase was jailed for not declaring his interest in minutes of a Fiji Holdings Ltd Board Meeting. similiarly the AG should be put under the spotlight too for the need to declare his interest at the Business Committee meeting,
Second is the role of Laufitu Taylor. She was a member of the Public Accounts Committee chaired by Taufa Vakatale during the un-elected Bainimarama Govt. This committee had looked into the issue of the payment of Ministerial salaries by Nur Bhano Ali's firm and had deemed that there was no case to answer.
Radrodro's active line of enquiry into the affair could have led to a disclosure of the truth behind these payments.Was Laufitu Malani trying to hide the truth from getting out? Did she declare her interest to the Opposition Leader before she went anywhere near the meeting to discuss the PAC ? She should have.
Maybe Vakatora is missing the bigger Judas lurking in the party and that is former PAC member who cleared the Ministerial payments, Laufitu Taylor who is now a close confidant and paid employee of the Opposition Leader, Ro Teimumu Kepa

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Samjha
16/5/2016 08:15:49 am

Khaiyum wants to make out he is anti- colonial and all that. But he has apparently internalised the colonial " divide and rule " policy.
That's his style of " leadership". A very colonial style.

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Rustam
16/5/2016 08:39:25 am

Sorry, we’ll all have to pause and re-look at the circumstances surrounding the dismissal of Hon. Biman Prasad as the PAC Chair. It all started with SOE Saneen (and his unwarranted, meritless and indeed clearly un-Constitutional interference in the Parliamentary process) and the suspension of the NFP, followed by a very irregular passing of the amendments to the composition of the PAC membership law – in the duration of the absence of the NFP in the Parliament.

From there onwards - the rest just walked straight into the traps laid out by Khaiyum –of enticements and blatant dishonorable behavior of parliamentarians concerned.

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Tomasi
16/5/2016 10:14:16 pm

There is more here to this story than meets the eye. The PAC is one of the most important committees in Fiji. Its mandate has to do with accountability, transparency, excellent leadership and management, and the very sacred truth that Parliamentarians and civil servants are mere servants of the people of Fiji.

Many of us have wondered why the PAC has never really exposed the whole truth about those ministerial salaries and Nur Bano's very active and effective control of the dictators' financial matters during those years of reckless rule by decrees. The money trails have led led into the exposure and prosecution of many people, companies and leaders around the world. The slogan, Follow the Money" has implied that a true matrix of assessing a government or a person;s life and decisions is to examine its financial transactions. Who controls the money is also a true measure of who is really in control. Money trails also do reveal the truth that the love of money is the root of all evil.

Having said that, we cam use that lens to pose the questions already being posed about Biman, Nur Bano, Bai, Aseri, Laufitu and of course our Most Deplorable Arrogant and Power Crazy Control Freak Minister for Everything, Khaiyum Saiyad Aiyaz.

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LAUGHING
17/5/2016 02:02:48 am

Why don't we all just take a break from making up racist comments or trying to interpret comments made in Fijian by Radrodro and get an actual Fijian translator to translate the simple sentence made for once? All this accusations about race uis just stupid really. If I am to know Aseri Radrodro...I know that the guy is more Indian than Fijian! He hangs out mostly with Indians, eats with them, works very closely with them, and his bloody family is married to either them (His brother Wise is married to an Indo Fijian lady) or to other races...(Mother's sister to a white) amongst other races mostly! Oh dear the stupidity of it all. HE IS INDIAN more than FIJIAN folks! And that's in the complementary way in case this statement is distorted again oilei.

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Pita
17/5/2016 04:29:53 am

Nice cartoon on the Waiqele bus, Victor lampooning Radrodro's likening of Biman to "curry baigan" wanting to sit in the driver's rather than in the passenger seat. You forgetting to include Laufitu Malani, the former PAC member now of SODELPA, who is the traffic cop directing the PAC bus away from an investigation on Ministerial salaries paid through Aunty Nur Bhano Ali's company.. Laufitu was a member of the PAC during Bainimarama's illegal regime and knows the full story behind the payments but is keeping her mouth zipped while trying to nail Radrodro to the wall as he was digging too hard to get to the truth about these highly irregular payments.
The question also is why did Biman go soft on pursuing the truth behind these payments as Radrodro claims in his statement. Biman please explain yourself

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Wrong Translation
17/5/2016 06:12:53 am

Editor, you have misunderstood and wrongly interpretted the itaukei statement said by Radrodro: " Kari beka o tamana means---the respectful gentleman and "not curry baigan"......na basi nei tamana----the private bus of rhis gentleman and not his father's bus ?" The gentlemen from Naitasiri are always globally known of respect when they speak particularly to people of ranks.
That clearly gives a totally different meaning to what you have alluded to !. Am sure Aseri a gentleman means well.

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Maria Teresia
17/5/2016 10:12:12 am

I am of the opinion that the Opposition needs to sit together and discuss issues honestly and logically and work together for the good of the country but especially the people they represent. Everything should be on the table and no double standards.They cannot be calling each other Judas but everything should be done appropriately if it is going to topple the Bainimarama Government in the next election.

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Totaram
17/5/2016 11:00:31 am

Sorry who is tomasi vakatora?

Oops he was a losing sodelpa candidates

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