Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption

Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption is an organisation set up by the interim Prime Minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama to counter corruption in Fiji. The Commissioner of Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) together with the Chief Investigator of Corruption will formulate policies, identify priorities and establish investigative regimes. To ensure independence, the Commissioner will be directly accountable to the President of Fiji, Ratu Josefa Iloilo, and will be accountable only to him, so no one will be above the law of corruption, whether politician or Government employee or ordinary citizen alike. The Deputy commissioner of FICAC is Colonel George Langman, the Deputy military commander and the chief investigator, Nasir Ali will head a team of 4 senior investigators and 4 investigators of corruption and also a chief Legal Adviser and a legal adviser will be appointed to the Commission, as well as secretariat and administrative support staff.

Mission

Legislation was enacted establishing the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption. This will be a powerful, fully resourced, independent investigative body, having new and significantly enhanced legal powers of surveillance in order to be able to successfully investigate, arrest, detain and prosecute offenders of corruption.

The Commission will operate from such premises that permits it to meet its objectives of detection of corruption and associated criminal matters. It will look into the widespread instances of corruption both in Government and private sector and improve standards of living

Some of the main organisations under investigation are the Fiji Sports Council, the Native Lands Trust Board, the Fiji Institute of Technology and Airports Fiji Limited.

Investigation into the Fiji Sports Council

One of its first task was to investigate the Fiji Sports Council on its use of the F$93 million given by the government in 2003 to host the South Pacific Games. It was alleged by a former minister in the SDL government, Rajesh Singh, that the Sports Council mismanaged the money given by the Government which also led to the inquiry into these allegations by the interim Finance Minister Mahendra Chaudhry.

External links

* [http://www.fijivillage.com/artman/publish/printer_37986.shtml Legislation created to form mew FICAC]
* [http://www.fijitimes.com.fj/story.aspx?id=61348 Appointment of new Deputy Commisioner]
* [http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=31614 Investigations by FICAC]