It would appear that the Interim Regime in Fiji has through the help of its spin doctors at Fiji TV, namely Arvind Datt and Richard Broadbridge's Company have embarked on a campaign to malign people who have been carefully selected and targetted in Audit Reports commissioned by the Interim Finance Minister Mahendra Chaudhry, Lekh Ram Vayeshnoi and his son Rajendra Chaudhry - the Labour Party Think Tank .
This faceless and anonymous Audit Team appears to have been hand picked by Think Tank and their purpose is of course quite obvious. To ensure that enough dirt about "alleged corruption" is kept on the TV News each week so that people in Fiji can be fooled into thinking that the Interim Regime is continuing with its so called anti corruption campaign.
However, one must ask, what kind of Audit Team is this that gives the persons being maligned no opportunity to defend themselves or answer their queries.
What kind of Audit Report is prepared primarily for the same to be leaked into the Fiji TV and its sympathetic newspapers?
Let us start with the Fiji Sports Council. This Council is appointed under the Fiji Sports Council Act Cap 271A. It is a self regulating body corporate that can sue and be sued in its own name. Prior to 5/12 the Council was one that duly appointed by a duly elected Minister for Sports.
The Sports Council's accounts are audited each year by the Auditor General. Prior to 5/12 the Council had clean audit reports.
Prior to 5/12 Rajesh Singh, a former SDL MP who had been unceremoniously dumped as State Minister for Sports was actively on a campaign to malign the CEO for the Fiji Sports Council.
Of course, Rajesh Singh had his own agenda and this may include non accounting for hirage fees.
Perhaps someone should audit the Global Baabaas Team that he conveninetly managed in order to travel around the world. At present, I doubt if Rajesh Singh is no welcome in Tailevu or Naitasiri for that matter.
However, after 5/12 Fiji lost the World Netball Championships. This was directly as a result of the military coup. A world event gone begging because a few power hungry people wanted to take over the Government of Fiji.
After a month in the shadows MPC and his Think Tank started to come out of the shadows and lo behold he was appointed as Interim Minister for Finance by FB.
Lekh Ram was appinted as Sports Minister. This man who does not look as if he has any knowledge about sports at all suddenly becomes the Sports minister for Fiji.
Of course MPC would have desperately wanted this portfolio to go to a Labour Party member because he had spent so much time previously speaking out against the Sports Council.
FB in his ignorance gave in to MPC's demands and appointed Lekh Ram.
Immediatelty Lekh Ram suspended the Board of Directors. So, the dice was set already. If Lekh Ram suspended the Board in his first few days in office the writing was already on the wall that MPC and Lekh Ram would have to find some evidence to justify their allegations and actions.
Of course MPC then appoints his secret Audit Team.
However, very swiftly Lekh Ram appints Tom Ricketts as Chairman, - a Labourt Party Stalwart who was a banker and who had no job after he weas defeated at the 2006 Elections. Rajend Chaudhry then got appointed. What was his credentials? Hasn't he just been admitted to the Bar in Fiji? What was his expertise? Was it because he was MPC's son? It would appear that he is now the boss of the Fiji Sports Council.
Arvind Datt, a Labour party stalwart and die hard MPC suppoprter was next in line and so the list goes on including Rajesh Singh.
So , Lekh Ram stacks the new illegal Board with Labour Party stalwarts and the witch hunt begins.
Quite suddenly , an Audit Report is released on Fiji TV of all the places - Arvind Datt's workplace. What happened to fair media reporting?
Lekh Ram gleefully says he has referred the Audit to the Anti Corruption Unit.
The rest is history. The crucial questions that remain unanswered are :
1. Is Lekh Ram's appointment legal?
2. Did Lekh Ram act legally and ethically when he suspended the Board without any right of hearing.
3. Did Lekh Ram act legally and ethically when he sacked the Board without any right of hearing?
4. Who commissioned the Audit.
5. Did all the Labour Party members declare their conflict of interest at the Board meeting where it was decided to commission an audit
6. Who chose the Audit Team?
7. What was their Terms of Reference?
8. Did they give those being maligned any opportunity to be heard ?
9. How much is each Board Member getting paid by the Sports Council?
10. Is the Anti Corruption Unit legal?
11. Is the Anti Corruption Decree legal ?
What wonders will discovery reveal? It would be nice to cross examine Lekh Ram, MPC and RC on these matters.
Lekh Ram and his cronies are currently enjoying power because FB has not woken up to MPC's real agenda. But there will come a time when this illegal interim regime will come to an end.
Lekh Ram and his cronies should realise that they will not have any protection from the huge lawsuits that await them once this guns have gone back to the Barracks, the Interim Regime Ministers are in jail and they are finally exposed for their own corrupt actions.
Have a good day.
Guthrie
