Fiji's former attorney-general under police investigation

Friday, 30 December 2022

A border alert has been issued for former Fijian attorney-general and minister for economy, Aiyaz Saiyed-Khaiyum, who is in Australia.

Fiji’s former attorney-general Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum is being investigated for allegedly “inciting communal antagonism” following the general election on December 14.

A border alert for the former minister for economy was issued by the police criminal investigations department.

Sayed-Khaiyum travelled to Australia on December 26 – two days after the new coalition government was formed.

The alert was sent to border security officials at Nadi Airport on December 29, police said.

Fiji Police Commissioner Brigadier-General Sitiveni Qiliho has been urged to resign.

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The People’s Alliance party general secretary, Sakiasi Ditoka, had lodged a joint complaint against Sayed-Khaiyum on December 19 over comments the Fiji First Party secretary made during a news conference in the capital Suva.

Ditoka, who is the new Minister of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management, alleged that Sayed-Khaiyum’s comments incited racial hatred, violence and communal antagonism.

The coalition government of Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s People’s Alliance, National Federation Party and Social Democratic Liberal Party (Sodelpa) won 29 seats of the 55-member Parliament.

Whether the government, sworn in on December 24, was aware of Sayed-Khaiyum’s departure to Sydney is unknown.

“Mr Sayed-Khaiyum is a person of interest and is currently under investigation regarding a case of alleged inciting communal antagonism,” the border alert read.

“We are yet to deal with the above-mentioned person who is believed to be currently in Australia.

“According to the travel history, the POI (person of interest) departed Fiji on 26 December 2022,” the alert stated.

Fiji’s border police have been directed to let the CID office in Suva know once Sayed-Khaiyum returns to the country.

Police Commissioner Brigadier-General Sitiveni Qiliho said on Friday this was a “normal monitoring mechanism” of the CID writing to the Border Police.

Qiliho said the alert was to inform the CID that if Sayed-Khaiyum returned, there was an order to carry out investigations on a report against him.

Qiliho is also under pressure after he was urged by Police Minister Pio Tikoduadua to resign on Thursday.

“It’s difficult to maintain confidence in Qiliho and that is why I’ve invited him to resign,” Tikoduadua told a media conference.

The minister said Qiliho’s history and record with former prime minister Frank Bainimarama had cast doubt over the appropriateness of him keeping his position.

“I am a living example,” said Tikoduadua, who was arrested by police in April 2020 over a video he posted on Facebook.

The video, relating to alleged police brutality, described how a man was hospitalised after he was thrown off a bridge by police officers.

Fiji’s director of public prosecutions, Christopher Pryde, said police had insufficient evidence to charge Tikoduadua, and the case would not be pursued.

Nine police officers were suspended over the alleged assault, but no charges have been laid.

“He [Qiliho] is the commissioner of police, the responsibility of the police in administering their work and that is highly questionable in many areas,” Tikoduadua said.

“It’s recorded in the press, and I am a living example of that.

“It’s difficult to maintain confidence when that happens so that is the reason why I say we have an issue of confidence with him, which is the reason why I’ve invited him to resign.”

Qiliho has yet to respond to a request for comment.