Justice Minister and Attorney-General Siromi Turaga in Parliament on Monday. 11 March 2024 Photo: Facebook / Parliament of the Republic of Fiji
A complaint has been filed against Fiji's chief law officer in relation to his handling of a divorce case two years ago, police have confirmed.
Assistant Commissioner of Police - Crime Mesake Waqa said a report has been received against Justice Minister and Attorney-General Siromi Turaga and he is now being investigated by the Criminal Investigations Department.
Waqa said the complaint is in relation to allegations made about the handling of the complainant's dissolution of marriage proceedings in 2022.
Fiji police did not respond to RNZ Pacific's specific questions on when they had received the complaint, who the complainant is and from where, the timeframe of the investigations, and if Turaga has already been questioned,
Waqa said "investigations continue".
RNZ Pacific has contacted Turaga for comment.
According to the Fiji Sun newspaper, the complaint was made last Wednesday, and the complainant is a retired Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) officer Mikaele Lewaicei.
"Mr Lewaicei said he had lodged a report against Mr Turaga for allegedly obtaining financial benefit through deception, fraud, and uttering a false document while he practised as a solicitor and barrister," the newspaper reported on Monday.
"This happened prior to the December 2022 elections where Mr Turaga represented Mr Lewaicei's wife in a divorce application. She is his cousin."
The allegation and investigation against Turaga is yet another inessential matter that the Sitiveni Rabuka-led coalition government has to contend with, as the first session of the 2024 Parliament began this week.
Rabuka had to remove his Cabinet minister and former education minister Aseri Radrodro from the Sodelpa party for insubordination in January.
Another member of his Cabinet, the Women's and Children's Minister Lynda Tabuya is facing allegations she was involved in a sex and drugs scandal, who was last week removed as the deputy leader of the governing People's Alliance Party.
Viliame Gavoka, one of Rabuka's three deputy prime ministers, is being investigated by the anti-corruption watchdog for abuse of office in relation to authorising a Fiji Airways charter flight to Tel Aviv despite knowing there was not enough money to cover the FJ$3 million (US$1.3m) Fiji Airways fees.
Aside from Cabinet ministers attracting unnecessary attention, a former public prosecutor, who was sacked in January, is planning legal action against the state for or unlawful dismissal based on race and defamation.
In addition to these, the country is struggling to retain its best and brightest who are leaving the country for greener pastures to Australia and New Zealand, as the government struggles to deal with a hard drugs crisis that authorities say threatens the national security.
