Some of whom contested the 2006 Elections under the S.D.L banner.
1987 Coup master mind, Sitiveni Rabuka was recently arrested and given bail. High Crime offences should not granted bail, taking into account the gravity of the offense. Vakaivosavosa has an interesting take on the matter.
Police Inept in Dealing with Racist Public Statements
By Rev. Akuila Yabaki
May 19, 2006, 13:45
The Citizens’ Constitutional Forum expressed disappointment and concern today at comments made by Assistant Commissioner of Police/Crime, Mr Kevueli Bulamainaivalu, and Director of the Criminal Investigations Department, Mr Josaia Rasiga, to the effect that the police have not received any formal complaints concerning alleged racist public statements made by the caretaker Prime Minister, Mr Laisenia Qarase, and that they are finding it difficult to verify the statements.
The CCF has written to the Commissioner of Police three times in the past year regarding the criminal offence of inciting racial antagonism, which is set out in section 17 of the Public Order Act (copy attached). The first of these letters was a formal complaint concerning a statement made by Mr Qarase on radio station Viti FM on 4 October 2005. “Mr Bulamainaivalu was good enough to reply to this letter, but he was unable even to locate section 17 of the Public Order Act at that time. He seemed to think I was accusing Mr Qarase of sedition or some other offence,” said CCF Executive Director, Rev. Akuila Yabaki.
On 23 March 2006, Fiji One News reported that another non-government organisation, the Pacific Centre for Public Integrity, had made a complaint to police concerning a similar racist statement, this time made by Mr Qarase at a public meeting in Rewa. Footage of Mr Qarase making the statement in the Fijian language, with subtitles in English, was broadcast as part of the report. “What is stopping Mr Rasiga and Mr Bulamainaivalu from obtaining this footage from Fiji Television?” Reverend Yabaki asked. “For Mr Rasiga to say that the police are having difficulty verifying the statement makes the police look inept. The CCF knows that they are aware of the news report of the Rewa statement, because that was the subject of our second letter to the Police Commissioner, dated 24 March 2006.”
The CCF’s third letter was sent to the Commissioner on 4 April 2006. It referred to Mr Qarase’s statement in Rewa, as well as newspaper reports of racist statements made by election candidates Mr Jale Baba and Mr Ben Padarath. “Our third letter asked the Commissioner to explain his views on these statements and the approach of police to the offence of inciting racial antagonism,” Rev. Yabaki said. No reply has yet been received.
“I want to emphasise that this offence is a serious matter,” said Rev. Yabaki, “and especially during an election campaign. What we are talking about here is hate speech, and the CCF expects the police to treat it seriously. Mr Bulamainaivalu also said yesterday that the Fiji Police Force is responsible to the people. My reply to him is, ‘Get responsible. Get your facts straight and take dangerous racist statements seriously.’
It is amazing that the Fiji Police. who have been proactive in arresting protesters of the 2006 General Election then, gives those who preach racial division, a stern warning. It is time that these institutions of Justice in Fiji, become intolerant to crimes performed by influential people.
Obviously the Fiji Army Commander's recent warnings to the new Government, not to pass the controversial R.T.U Bill has irked many and provides much needed counter-point to the Fiji public often deprived of the knowledge into the broader schemes of malice.
Far often the Fiji media are not diligent enough to pursue investigative journalism and the public is being forced fed articles that, falls in the realm of stenography. There is a clear absence of probing articles, which courageously unravels the dichotomy in Fiji politics. Muckraking is also clearly an activity seldom used by Fiji media, at the expense of good governance and transparency. An important role that, S.I.F.M will not shirk from.
Double standard
I REFER to the letter by Tevita Bevu (FT 8/2) and would like to support his call for the Police Commissioner to come clean on double standards in relation to the release of a government chief executive.
The commissioner should stop hoodwinking ordinary citizens and reveal the truth that there are two sets of laws in Fiji and that he applied the rule for the rich and untouchables in this case.Stop making petty excuses and degrading the competence level of your staff, commissioner.
The excuse that officers made a conversion error reflects that you have incompetent officers in the force. I wonder how many citizens were charged by the incompetent officers and made to suffer for a crime they did not commit.
I would like to know why taxpayers of Fiji are made to pay for incompetent civil servants? Or was it the case of a junior biting the bullet to save a senior officer? So much for the commissioner's assurance of "one law for all''. Or has he decided to follow the golden rule of "when in Rome do as the Romans do?''
Rakesh Chandra
Nasinu
Club Em Designs
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