Lynda Tabuya. Photo: Supplied
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka's People's Alliance Party has confirmed it has received a written complaint from a party member against Fiji's Women's Minister Lynda Tabuya over her conduct.
The complaint against the Cabinet Minister is being referred to the party's legal and national disciplinary sub-committee.
Minister Tabuya has been embroiled in an alleged sex and drug scandal with sacked education minister Aseri Radrodro during official travel last year.
Tabuya told RNZ Pacific the allegations were "fake news" while Radrodro has not commented on the issue.
People's Alliance Executive Council members - the party's main decision-making body - did not initially reveal a name when reports first surfaced of a complaint against a senior party MP.
The deputy leader and deputy PM Manoa Kamikamica said on Tuesday "when there is a complaint, that is only one side of the story and the complaint can be useless and have no basis".
"The public does not need to know everything," he said.
However, the party's general secretary Pita Waqatairewa confirmed soon after Tabuya as the senior MP concerned.
While he did not reveal further details and the nature of the complaint, Waqatairewa said it has been referred a sub-committee as provided for under section 27(5) of the People's Alliance Party Constitution.
It is understood that the sub-committee will deliberate on the complaint and make their decision to the PAP Management Board.
The Management Board will then make its recommendations to Rabuka.
'Not at ease with the allegations'
An RNZ Pacific source said the People's Alliance will need to make a firm decision on Tabuya because the events being described between Tabuya and Radrodro on social media and the internet were unhealthy for the party's image.
The Fiji Police Force has stated they were also going to investigate social media and online posts that allegedly included sexually explicit images purported to be of Tabuya.
"The Peoples Alliance Party is an iTaukei based party that has the blessings of the Vanua (land) and their chiefs plus the major Christian faiths in Fiji," the source said.
"I am sure those who back the party will not be at ease with the allegations that are circulating and the Party will need to come out clean and advise the people of what action they will take if the allegations are proven true."
Rabuka has stated the allegations were baseless when he discussed the issue with both Tabuya and Radrodro last year.
