Laisenia Qarase, Jr.

Laisenia Qarase, Jr. is a Fijian businessman. He is best-known as the son of Laisenia Qarase, Fiji's Prime Minister since 2000.

Late in 2005, Qarase Jr. found himself at the centre of allegations made in parliament. The allegations, made by Senators Ponipate Lesavua and Ratu Dr. Epeli Nailatikau, and by the Fiji Labour Party parliamentarian Poseci Bune, claimed that Qarase's haulage company, along with a forestry company owned by Jale Baba, the General Secretary of the ruling Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua (SDL), had benefited from government contracts, with Lesavua and Bune charging nepotism. "It is alleged that contracts were awarded to these companies without tenders being invited," Bune said under parliamentary privilege on 19 December 2005.

The Prime Minister clarified on 20 December that his son was a former shareholder in Trapper Haulage, a company specializing in the transportation of mahogany logs, but had withdrawn after being advised to do so. "My son was the initial shareholder in Trapper Haulage but he withdrew on the basis of my advice because he paid too much for his shareholding. He has not benefitted any single cent from the mahogany contract," Qarase Sr. told the Fiji Times on 20 December. He challenged Lesavua, Nailatikau, and Bune to repeat their allegations against his son outside Parliament.