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