Monday, February 7, 2011

Bainimarama finally announces death of Ratu Josefa

BAINI: Paying tribute to Ratu Josefa - is it enough?














The illegal leader's announcement comes more than a day after Ratu Josefa died and describes the former president as a great son of Fiji and beacon of hope - is that the best he could say about the man who helped him get to where he is today?



OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE PASSING OF THE FORMER PRESIDENT, THE LATE RATU JOSEFA ILOILOVATU ULUIVUDA CF, MBE, MSD, KStJ
Monday 7th February, 2011 4pm

Fellow citizens of Fiji.

It is with profound sadness that I announce the passing yesterday morning of our former President, Na Turaga Taukei Vunisei, Turaga na Tui Vuda, Ratu Josefa Iloilovatu Uluivuda.

My Cabinet and I and the Government of the Republic of Fiji extend our heartfelt sympathies to Adi Kavunono and family and the Vanua of Vuda on the loss of a great son of Fiji who served our nation with distinction.

Ratu Iloilo’s chiefly qualities and status endowed him with great wisdom and leadership attributes which ensured the stability and progress of our nation through one of its most trying times.  As President, he was our beacon of hope. 

This is Ratu Iloilo’s legacy, which places him amongst the ranks of our great statesmen. 

His strong Christian values guided his unwavering commitment to bringing unity to our nation and all its people.

In this regard, Ratu Iloilo promulgated the People’s Charter for Change, Peace and Progress. 

The Charter guides our way forward as a nation. Government is committed to continue its implementation as a tribute to Ratu Iloilo’s aspirations for a united Fiji.

Government will accord the late Tui Vuda a State funeral. 

A Committee has been set up to work with the Vanua of Vuda to prepare, finalise and implement funeral arrangements, details of which will be announced later.

As a mark of respect, national flags in all Government institutions will fly at half mast from now until after the internment.

My Government and I together with the people of our nation join Adi Kavunono, the family and the people of the Vanua of Vuda in mourning the passing of the late Tui Vuda.

posted by Pacific in the Media at 8:37 PM 21 Comments Links to this post

Fijians, I-Taukei, Indians and Indo-Fijians: Name changes by military decree

By Professor Wadan Narsey


The Bainimarama Government has passed a Military Decree that all Fiji citizens must now be called “Fijians”, while indigenous Fijians would be called “I-Taukei”.


Anonymous bloggers raged that this was part of Aiyaz Khaiyum’s “sunset clause” strategy on the Fijian race.


An odd few, unaware of the statistical impact, rejoiced that Fiji citizens arriving in, or departing from Fiji, would not be required to declare their ethnicity.


But while a handful of elite educated Indo-Fijians may have welcomed this change, most “Indo-Fijians” could not care less.


More important, without widespread indigenous Fijian consultation and approval, this attempted name change will make little real difference to the social and political realities of Fiji, while it may make racial antagonisms worse.


I doubt if the Commodore asked his older brother for advice on the statistical implications of the name change, which will be a nightmare for statisticians and demographers, while wasting large amounts of tax-payers’ funds.


“Fijian” and “I-taukei”


Bainimarama argues, as have many before him, that all Fiji citizens should feel that they belong to Fiji equally, without any ethnic discrimination; that the word “Fijian” is a western creation via Tongan mispronunciation of the word “Viti”; and that the term used by indigenous Fijians to describe themselves has always been “i-taukei”. Of course, there is some truth in all this.


But many indigenous Fijians, especially those who articulate in the English language, feel that the word “Fijian” is now synonymous with the indigenous Fijian people, their language and culture, and its usage should be restricted to them alone. There is also some substance to this view. But will the name change threaten their culture? I doubt it.


Bainimarama did not ask Fijians if they wanted to be called I-Taukei in English.


Nor did he ask Indo-Fijians if they wanted to be called “Fijians”.


Indo-Fijian views?


Historically in Fiji, people of Indian origin have been called, and they also referred to themselves as “Indians”: look at any official statistics on Fiji, including the 2007 Fiji


Census, the Ministry of Health Reports, or the many statements by their political leaders (in English or Hindi).


The 1997 Constitution tried calling them “Fiji Indians”. But “Fiji Indians” who have resettled in Australia, NZ, Canada or US, know all too well how different they are from Indians from India, despite the common DNA, languages and religions; and how “Fijian” they are, in more ways than just supporting the kava industry.


Many Indo-Fijian academics now use the term “Indo-Fijian” to emphasize our Fiji roots (thoroughly confusing the average Fiji Indian).


But even that mild term “Indo-Fijian” used to be objected to before the 2006 coup, often more so by Fiji’s colonial Europeans and “Part-Europeans” who found it politically expedient in relegating Indo-Fijians to being perpetual “vulagi”- the well-known colonial “divide and rule” strategy (read The Fiji Times in the Len Usher era).


But, probably, most Indo-Fijians have no great desire to be called “Fijians” just as they would be reluctant to adopt indigenous Fijian customs, holus bolus.


Bainimarama should know that it is only a handful of educated elite Indo-Fijians who want to be called “Fijian”- and that only because of the racial discrimination they have faced in Fiji over the years.


Why elite Indo-Fijian support?


Fijian bloggers are bitterly critical of the handful of Indo-Fijians who have re-appeared in Fiji (many making money), supporting the Bainimarama coup, and the name change for all citizens to “Fijian”.


While their support of a treasonous coup cannot be justified, it is important to understand their bitterness at being racially marginalized in the land of their birth, for only then can one understand their strange continued blind support of this Military Regime, despite the massive damage it is doing to Fiji.


The case of John Samy, a high flying Permanent Secretary under Ratu Mara, driven out after the 1987 coup is well known, but there are many other similar persons.


Naz Shameem was not supported by the Fiji Government when she was an a very viable candidate for an international position; Parmesh Chand and Thakur Ranjit Singh (gone but still writing Down Under) were rejected for top Civil Service positions, despite being suitable candidates; Sada Reddy (gone) in the Reserve Bank had the frustration of seeing his junior moved to the Ministry of Finance, and then moved back above him as Governor; Rishi Ram (now out of sight) was summarily brought back from being Ambassador in Japan; Surendra Sharma (gone) was not supported by the Fiji Government for his bid for the Deputy Secretary General position at the ACP; and there were many Indo-Fijian executives in statutory organisations who were eliminated from top positions


following the rapid Fijianisation after the 1987 coups (some of course re-appeared in the sugar industry after the 2006 coup, only to depart again after making some money).


Many Indo-Fijian professionals faced invisible barriers at the tax-free CROP organizations such as SPC, Forum Secretariat and others, partly due to the inability of Fiji citizens to network as well as the Samoans and Tongans, but also partly due to the lack of support from successive Fiji Governments.


Even at USP (where most qualified Pacific Islanders don’t want to work, or leave soon after joining), Indo-Fijian academics in the nineteen seventies and eighties faced racist opposition from senior regional academics and expatriates (some of whom later became Fiji citizens).


Recently again, an experienced Indo-Fijian applicant for the Vice Chancellor’s position was denied, while an expatriate with serious financial question marks was appointed, with the support of the Fiji Government.


When that expatriate VC left under strange circumstances (never publicly revealed to the tax payers of the region) the Indo-Fijian candidate was appointed as Vice Chancellor, due to the strong support of the current Military Regime. I suspect that Fiji National University would also not have appointed an Indo-Fijian Vice Chancellor, had it not been for support by the Bainimarama Regime.


It is not surprising therefore that there are many elite and educated Indo-Fijians who support the Bainimarama coup, and his Military Decree calling all Fiji citizens “Fijians”.


But I strongly suspect that the average person of Indian origin in Fiji will still not call himself a “Fijian” while in Fiji.


Different abroad


Most Indo-Fijians, when in Fiji, understand “Fijian” to mean indigenous Fijians.


But abroad, all Fiji citizens are referred to and refer to themselves as “Fijian”, just like Vijay Singh and Colin Philp, who carry Fiji passports.


Those indigenous Fijians who feel that Bainimarama’s name change threatens the viability of Fijian culture, should stop worrying. Calling a rose a mokosoi changes neither the rose nor the mokosoi.


There will merely be a large wastage of tax-payers’ funds changing all Government department names, stationary, regulations, etc from “Fijian” to “I-taukei”.


But more seriously, this name change will cause great confusion in the area of official statistics, such as censuses, surveys, and national indicators, where ethnicity is an important variable to be distinguished for monitoring of development indicators.


Why are statisticians silent?


For many of Fiji’s official statistics and indicators (such as that required for MDGs), it is important to know accurately not just the total number of men, women and children there are in the country by age, but also by ethnicity.


There are significant ethnic differences in fertility rates, infant mortalities, life expectancies, food consumption patterns, school retention rates, business participation, etc. These must be monitored by ethnicity if we are to assess Fiji’s development progress in areas where ethnic groups lag behind.


For instance, to project population numbers between censuses, it is essential to know age specific fertility rates by ethnicity, as well as the net migration numbers by ethnic groups.


If births and deaths, or arrivals and departure cards, don’t record ethnicity, we cannot accurately know the base populations for any ethnic group, in any one inter-censal year.


Indo-Fijians have relatively higher emigration rates than indigenous Fijians, which differences are easily picked up from arrival and departure cards at the airports- if the ethnicity is recorded. Of course, there are ways around these problems, but the solutions will be expensive.


And then, there is the statistical nightmare for the whole world that for any statistics on Fiji published over the last century, the word “Fijian” before 2011 means indigenous Fijians, but from 2011 means all citizens (but perhaps not, depending on the producer of the data).


Note that the Bainimarama Regime has no clue what they are going to call the ever-shrinking numbers of “Indo-Fijians”, in all the forms etc where ethnicity will still need to be filled in- in education, health, household surveys, censuses, etc.


Or what they are going to call all the other minority groups who are also committed Fiji citizens- like the kailomas, Rotumans, Rabi Islanders, Solomoni, the few kaivalagis, or the increasing numbers of itinerant Chinese.


Why are scarce tax-payers’ money being wasted on all these unnecessary name changes which will only cause confusion?


Surely, to make all citizens feel they belong, all that is needed is an end to racial discrimination and racist rhetoric.


And, if any government wants to have national name changes, it needs to be done by widespread consultation and dialogue- currently totally denied by the media censorship.


Doing it through the barrel of the gun will not change people’s minds, even if the objectives are good.


As the Rugby Union lottery saga indicated, the Bainimarama Regime’s actions are making Fiji’s race relations worse, not better, except that the racial tensions are all hidden by the continuing senseless media censorship. But the exploding and under-reported crimes in the country may be indicative.


This short-sighted illegal Bainimarama regime should immediately remove the media censorship within Fiji and let all Fiji people discuss freely what names they would like to be called within Fiji, and what is the most sensible for us, keeping in mind all the requirements for development statistics and convenience for the users world-wide.


And, just like these and national name changes, also let Fiji people freely discuss the even more serious and far more debatable public policy changes that continue to be made by Military Decrees: secret pension “reforms”, secret disposal of FNPF assets, secret privatisation of public assets; secret government borrowings and government expenditure; arbitrary civil service appointments and sackings; arbitrary board appointments and sackings; ineffective orders and backflips on school zoning, silly limits to school fees, ineffectual price controls, and now, the senseless reversals of policy on the Wages Councils hurting the tens of thousands of badly paid, non-unionised workers (more on this soon).


All these draconian orders are clearly having unintended but very predictable negative consequences, while this Military Regime and its arrogant henchmen experiment with tax-payers’ funds, with no accountability, and total media censorship on dissenting views.


The list of their failed experiments is growing longer by the day.


While their cast of performers is shrinking by the day.


Soon they may be down to two stars, with a supporting actor or two from the private sector.


In the meantime, all Fiji watches with fascination, the scenes from Tunisia and Egypt.


Seems worlds apart, doesn’t it?

posted by Pacific in the Media at 1:06 PM 21 Comments Links to this post

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Breaking News: Fiji's former president Ratu Iloilo dead

BAINIMARAMA SUPPORTER: Ratu Josefa Iloilo making the critical changes to Fiji's 1997 Constitution.


The man who helped Frank Bainimarama consolidate (some might say unwittingly) his illegal power, Fiji's former president Ratu Josefa Iloilo, died this morning  in a private hospital in Suva.

Coupfourpointfive has been told the 91 year old was apparently admitted two weeks ago and that has health has been failing since.

Iloilo was president from 2000 to 20009, and aided the illegal leader Frank Bainimarama by abrogating the 1997 constitution. 

The abrogation was hugely controversial and resulted in Iloilo being widely criticised and to claims he was senile and was being used by the regime to do its dirty deeds.

The above picture has become famous for the illegal abrogation in 2009.

Bainimarama toppled Laisenai Qarase in 2006 and assumed presidential powers following failed attempts on Iloilo's part to mediate a solution between the two men.

Iloilo went on to grant Bainimarama immunity for the coup and to appoint him Prime Minister. 

And while he carries the title Tui Vuda, it's unlikely he will be  remembered with respect - perhaps even understanding - because of his decision to support Dictator Bainimarama.

The court of appeal had ruled that the 2006 dismissal of Qarase and his cabinet, the dissolution of Parliament, and the 2007 appointment of Bainimarama as interim prime minister were illegal. 

Iloilo was ordered to appoint a caretaker prime minister to dissolve Parliament and call elections, though Bainimarama and Qarase were barred from being selected. 


Instead, he suspended the 1997 constitution the following day, reconfirmed himself as president under a "new legal order," nullified all judicial appointments, and imposed Public Emergency Regulations.

Bainimarama, who had resigned following Iloilo's abrogation of the constitution, was named as caretaker prime minister and reappointed his previous cabinet.

posted by Pacific in the Media at 3:55 PM 46 Comments Links to this post

Friday, February 4, 2011

Source: Military were paid to beat Renee Lal

The Renee Lal story takes a turn today with a claim military were paid to beat the Suva lawyer.

Coupfourpointfive can't say where the information came from of course, but reiterate that our source has been reliable from the outset and is from within the military ranks.


We note, too, that there are aspects of this fraud that have yet to be revealed, perhaps via this blog or via the investigation the FICAC is supposed to be carrying out.


But we can today release the information that Renee Lal was beaten about her head with a full bottle of water and that her beating was apparently organised by an army officer by the name of Ben Naliva.


The officer is believed to be part of the illegal leader Frank Bainimarama's personal security detail. And it's claimed, as we said, that he was given $10,000 to ensure Lal got beaten.


The obvious question is - if this is true as we have been told, who would pay for this to be done and why? The full answers will come but to jog reader's memories: Lal is accused of fleecing a foreign investor by the name of Freeman under false pretences (and details of him are sketchy still) with the help of an accomplice, Ben Padarath. 

The kicker is that Frank's name was used by Lal and Padarath to 'oil' their scam and one of the more juicier claims was that they prised $30,000 out of the so-called investor, supposedly for Frank's Christmas expenses.


Our military sources have also now told us that Renee Lal's husband was with her when she was arrested at Nausori Airport last Friday morning, when she tried to fly out to New Zealand. Lal's husband is Amani Bale, a former lawyer for the Fiji military.


Footnote: A traumatised Lal is receiving counselling for her beating.

posted by Pacific in the Media at 2:12 PM 34 Comments Links to this post

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Renee Lal kicked out of office prior to her arrest

The Suva lawyer at the centre of the scam where perpetrators used Frank Bainimarama's name to fleece a Ghanian businessman, was kicked out of her office five days before her arrest.

Renee Lal was taken into custody last Friday morning, trying to make a quick escape to New Zealand.

Just days before Lal, who is a partner at Jamandas and Associates, was locked out of the office by senior partner, Dilip Jamandas, leaving her husband (former RFMF lawyer Amani Bale) to retrieve her files.

The Renee Lal scam is one of two major frauds revealing the massive corruption and weaknesses of the regime and its appointees. 

Lal's alleged scam involves hundreds of thousands of dollars and has a touch of the bizarre about it. Bainimarama was used as bait with Lal and the former politician Ben Padarath playing up their connections with him to butter up investors, including a Ghanian by the name of Freeman.

At one stage Freeman was told the money was for Christmas expenses for Frank. On another occasion, he was told to put dark tints on his vehicle windows - the same vehicle that was taken off him in the weekends because Bainimarama supposedly wanted to use it.

Authorities were also led to believe the Ghanian had AIDS, which led to him being arrested.

The FijiVillage reported a short time ago that the Fiji Independent Commission against Corruption has confirmed it has received a complaint from a foreign investor and that it's investigating.

posted by Pacific in the Media at 7:16 PM 36 Comments Links to this post

Fiji Holdings in new hands but what guarantee of fair play?

Typical of how rushed things are on the illegal regime's watch, Fiji Holdings Ltd has been put into the hands of two new players, without an apparent investigation or time to give investors and the public confidence in the company again.

Naouzab Fareed (top right) has been named acting chief executive and Iowane Naiveli (below right) acting chair of the board.
Fareed was already on deck and Naiveli has been resurrected from the ranks of retired directors (he opted out in 2008).

The board apparently met yesterday and has moved with lightning speed to cake over the disturbing revelations of government appointees double dipping and raiding the till.


In a supposed show of transparency (too early to tell if this will work), it's been decided there'll be no more managing directors for FHL and that the role will be replaced by a chief executive.

The idea is to avoid the stuff-up that led to the sacking of managing director, Sereana Qoro, and chairman Isoa Kaloumaria. The CEO will also now not sit on the board as has been previous practice, and will only report to the board.

In most credible business circles, having a finger in both pies would never have been allowed because it's a conflict of interest, something the company and the regime have arrived at too late.

Noticeable, today, too, is the decision by the media (or is it the regime?) to finally name names.  On that subject, Aiyaz Musa, the chief finance officer who got the $150,000 golden handshake and car, has gone to ground. But that's him to the left, if you need to put a face to the name.

posted by Pacific in the Media at 4:22 PM 18 Comments Links to this post

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Qoro and Kaloumaira's sacking puts new light on Aziz's FHL resignation

The terminations of the CEO and chair of the board of Fiji Holdings Ltd begs the question - so why did Brigadier General Mohammed Aziz resign as deputy chair?

Aziz's sudden resignation was covered by the local media and Coupfourpointfive on January the 19th and the 20th.

He told media he resigned because of  "personal reasons", but the tight lipped reply created more questions than answers. Why would he give up a lucrative board position? 

Word on the ground was he'd fallen out of favour with the hierarchy because of his dodgy business dealings.

We now know there have been major irregularities at Fiji Holdings Ltd, hence the departure of the CEO, Sereana Qoro and board chairman, Isoa Kaloumaira. The board may yet go, too.

Both Qoro (left at a shareholders meeting in 2009) and Kaloumaira (right in the picture below) should face criminal charges, along with anybody else who has ripped off the company - that's standard practice in most legitimate countries.

It appears, though, the pair - and Aziz - have been allowed to 'resign', to avoid another public shaming for the regime, who appointed them in the flush of its 'clean up campaign.'

Footnote: Aziz and Qoro were appointed by the regime in June 2008 (see the FHL website for the board statement) which said in part: "We would like to reassure our shareholders and investment partners that their interests remain our paramount focus as has always been."

posted by Pacific in the Media at 8:04 PM 57 Comments Links to this post

Heads roll at FHL: Qoro terminated

The chair of the Fiji Holdings Ltd board Isoa Kaloumaira and its managing director, Sereana Qoro, have been given the flick although local media are saying they've resigned.

It was touted yesterday in the FijiSun that a major investigation was underway on a CEO and it centred on a huge payout to one of the managers.

The FijiVillage is now reporting it has confirmed an outgoing manager received a $155,000 payout and company car. It  has not named the company or chief executive involved but Coupfourpointfive is naming them as FHL and Sereana Qoro, pictured here.
  
A short time ago, FijiVillage said it was discovered the CEO had authorized the payouts for the outgoing manager, even though he was not entitled to the benefits, after he'd left.

The double dipping was revealed when the same manager allowed the company's Chief Executive Officer to get two salary packages. The pair had obviously been scratching each other's backs.

FijiVillage says it was then established the CEO was also receiving the salary of a board chairman of one of the subsidiary companies.

It's believed the car and about $50,000 of the golden handshake have been returned. 

FijiVillage says just the chair and the CEO have resigned but it's believed the entire board has been asked to go as well.

The FHL irregularity is the second to be revealed this week. In the other, Coupfourpointfive exposed the shenanigans of another duo, Suva lawyer Renee Lal and former politician Ben Padarath, allegedly involving hundreds of thousands of dollars fleeced from a Ghanian businessman.

Editor's Note: Story last updated at 6.30pm

posted by Pacific in the Media at 5:07 PM 34 Comments Links to this post

Renee Lal and Ben Padarath out of custody, for now

Two of the key players in the scam involving thousands of dollars and a Ghanian businessman have been questioned and released.

Military sources have told Coupfourpointfive the Suva lawyer, Renee Lal, and the former politician, Ben Padarath, have both been released for the time being.

Lal is accused of swindling thousands of dollars from a businessman named Freeman and Padarath, of bringing the two together.

In an interesting turn of events, the illegal leader has been brought into the story with The FijiVillage and the FijiSun both saying Frank Bainimarama's name was used in the shenanigans. 

The Sun says "one false demand on the investor was for $30,000, with the claim that it was for Commodore Bainimarama’s Christmas expenses."


It goes on to says it was revealed that one false demand on the investor was for $30,000, with the claim that it was for Commodore Bainimarama's Christmas expenses. Threats were allegedly made by the businessman to the investor.

"The businessman had threatened that money be given to him whenever he wanted it or else his uncle, who a senior military officer will deport him (the investor)," the source said. "The investor asked him once why his car window was tinted and he said it was because the vehicle was used by the Prime Minister on weekends for personal runs."

The source also revealed the alleged fraudulent dealings that took place.

Money allegedly obtained by the lawyer:
*) $200,000 was allegedly deposited to the lawyer's partner's account from the United States of America by a client-an investment company running a development project outside Suva. The money was for the Fiji National Provident Fund (FNPF) payments and the salary of the workers but no documents/receipt have been received by the investment company to confirm the payment. The investment company will conduct their own inquiry into the matter.

*)$20,000 was allegedly obtained from the investor for his new office's furniture. Nothing has been bought to date.
*) $30,000 was also allegedly obtained for the false "PM's Christmas expenses", falsely using the Prime Minister's name.

*)The investor also gave $150,000 to the lawyer for his exploration licence.

Money allegedly obtained by the businessman:
*) $10,700 was allegedly obtained from the investor for the construction of his office after claiming that he owns a construction company.

*) He also demanded small amounts of money such as $200 every now and then with the threat of deportation if it wasn't given. Fiji SUN was told that this matter was brought to light after one of the alleged suspects told immigration officials that the investor should be deported because he was an HIV/AIDS carrier. However, upon being apprehended the investor revealed the dealings he had with the informer (the businessman) and the lawyer. The businessman reportedly introduced the investor to the lawyer.

Footnote: According to Coupfourpointfive sources, Renee Lal is getting treatment for her injuries as an outpatient.

posted by Pacific in the Media at 12:34 PM 24 Comments Links to this post