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TANGLED IN FISHY TAX NET: As Fiji Fish Marketing share in the $3.2 million Tuna Support Fund, in 2007 chief executive Grahame Southwick and his family had found themselves at centre of tax probe by FIRCA

10/10/2017

2 Comments

 

2007:

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2017:

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In 2008, my deep throats inside FIRCA had dumped on me scores of tax files belonging to Interim Cabinet Ministers, former politicians, individuals, companies, lawyers and businessmen; not to mention the tax file of Frank Bainimarama's Interim Finance Minister Mahendra Chaudhry who was also line Minister for FIRCA. Among the heaps of files was one relating to an investigation on JOSEVA NAMISI LEANO, FIRCA's then Acting General Manager, Risk and Compliance. When I exposed Chaudhry's $2million that he was hiding in an Australian bank account, FIRCA issued a press release on 24 February 2008 stating that Leano had been dismissed for misconduct and abuse of office. The press release went on to state as follows: "The Authority is unable to divulge the facts of the various allegations made against Mr. Leano because they involve other taxpayers affairs." 
The next day, on 25 February 2008, Fiji Sun's then publisher Russell Hunter was abducted from his home, detained overnight by the military, and deported out of Fiji- to prevent us from exposing other tax dodgers and fraudsters based on their own tax files. My own computer and emails were hacked, allegedly by Chaudhry's hired goons, and all the files were wiped out. So, the hackers thought. I had however forwarded most of the files to another computer and an e-mail account, and had also made soft copies of the files. The Investigation Report on Leano was concluded in 2007. I never came around to revealing its contents but when I saw Grahame Southwick's photo with Aiyaz Khaiyum and a story on the Tuna Support Fund, my photographic memory jolted me to dig up the 'Leano File involving Leano, the
Southwick Family and Nur Ali Bano's BDO firm'.

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Mr. Joseva Leano
Mr. Leano’s contract with FIRCA was terminated on the 11th of September 2007 after a number of serious allegations of misconduct and abuse of office were leveled against him. Mr. Leano amongst other things was alleged to have accepted Directorship of two companies without obtaining the approval and consent of the Authority.  He was also alleged to have failed to disclose various conflicts of interest situations involving taxpayers. Due to the Secrecy provisions of the Income Tax Act, the Authority is unable to divulge the facts of the various allegations made against Mr. Leano because they involve other taxpayers affairs.  However, the public can be assured that the allegations were extremely serious and warranted investigations. Mr. Leano replied to all the allegations and the Authority having considered all the issues decided to terminate his employment. "

JITOKO TIKOLEVU, the then Chief Executive Officer, FIRCA, 24 February 2008

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FULLY STORY SOON

2 Comments
Chiku
11/10/2017 02:51:53 am

Fiji is a small island country with big crooks . It's an Animal Farm of crooks . You have crooks here, you have crooks there, you have crooks everywhere : in politics, in business, in government, in statutory institutions, in sports , in religious organisations, even in civil society organisation's and NGOs . What's more quite often the crooks from the different sectors do the same cocktail circuit, are very matey with one another and do the I rub your shoulders and you rub mine sort of thing. These crooks are only about themselves and how to feather their nests. The country can go to the dogs for all that they care. They should be rounded up and locked up in jail without delay to stop them from harming the country any more.

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Welcome Home
11/10/2017 11:03:51 am

In the song 'Don't cry for me Argentina' from the musical "Evita" based on the life of Eva Peron who married the Fascist Dictator Juan Peron in the 1950s, the last verse goes:
"Have I said too much? There is nothing more I can say to you. But all you have to do is look at me to know every word I say is true". Every time this song is played, it reminds us of the suffering of Fiji and the daily ongoing trauma for so many Fijians.

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