Subject: [fem-women2000 503] corruption
From: "Dr. Yusuf Roshan" <yusuf.roshan@which.net>
Date: Sat, 26 Aug 2000 05:00:16 +1200
Seq: 503

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Are we going to accept this??? Surely, we are not that helpless???
=20
They are at it already.
=20
Yusuf
=20
Movement for Democracy in Fiji
=20
331 City Road London EC1V 1LJ
 Office Tel: +44 (0) 20 7713 7377 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7713 7378
 Home Tel: +44 (0) 1474 872 908
 Email: yusuf.roshan@which.net
=20
President: Raymond Croxon QC    Secretary/Treasurer: K Bhagwandeen    =
Chairman: Dr Y Roshan
Administrative Board Member of the European Institute for Asian Study =
(Think Tank of European Members of Parliament): Mr Surur Hoda    Human =
Rights Co-ordinator: Mrs A Bhagwandeen    Spearheading Legal Issues on =
Fiji: Mr Victor Lal (Oxford University) & Mr Norman Patterson Barrister  =
 Information: Mr Vimal Madhavan

=20
=20
=20
=20
FINANCIAL ABUSES THE ORDER OF THE DAY

The people of Fiji have begun to see financial abuses by the so called =
Interim Administration so early within its illegal term.
First, the people saw the recommendation for appointment by Qarase of =
the largest Cabinet in Fiji's history. The recommendation of 20 Cabinet =
rank ministers and 12 assistant ministers will cost the people of Fiji =
about $750,000, inclusive of benefits, more than what the cabinet cost =
under the Peoples Coalition.

Within a week we see the unelected Prime Minister purchasing a new =
landcruiser costing the taxpayers $131,000. Then Prime Minister Sitiveni =
Rabuka used the Malaysian donated limo PM001. Prime Minister Chaudhry =
also used this vehicle.
Now the unelected Qarase tells the nation that PM001 is not suitable for =
him. Nor are the other vehicles assigned to the PM's Office. And more =
vehicles are to be purchased because the vehicles used by the Peoples =
Coalition ministers are not "available" for the Qarase team. In total, =
the Peoples Coalition Government is reliably informed, the taxpayers =
expect to foot
another $500,000 for new vehicle purchases.

Within a week, then, we see the Qarase team deciding to squander over =
$1.3m. And Qarase has the temerity to ask the civil servants to accept a =
12.5% paycut because times are hard.

The Peoples Coalition Government warns the taxpayers that this trend in =
squandering public funds by the unelected regime will continue. We are =
just seeing a small example of what is to come in the days ahead.

During 2000, the Peoples Coalition Government had, after thoroughly =
taking stock of the government vehicle fleet, decided that there would =
be no more purchases of new vehicles. There were, and continue to be, =
numerous vehicles which are either misallocated, or underutilized. This =
state of affairs was inherited by the Coalition Government from the SVT =
reign. The Peoples Coalition Government had decided to rationalize the =
use of government vehicle fleet. Substantial savings resulted from this =
move to improve financial efficiency. The funds saved were re-directed =
to delivering the social package of the Coalition which benefited the =
ordinary citizen.=20

The Qarase team has, within a week, reversed this move.

And it is not only the financial indiscipline and abuse which should =
worry the taxpayers. The rapidly emerging rise in graft and nepotism =
should also be a major cause of concern. Only today (Sunday) are the =
taxpayers and citizens informed that Qarase's
salary and house rent is being paid for by a private company, and that =
this will continue to be so at least until the end of August. We are =
further told that Qarase is negotiating with the same company the use of =
the company house in Domain for the future.

This is a very serious matter. It means that the Prime Minister of the =
illegal regime is accepting gifts from a private bank. Without any =
doubt, this is the highest form of abuse of office and corruption. Even =
the editorial of the Fiji Times of 29 July had warned: "Along the way =
his [Qarase's] team will encounter the inevitable temptations and =
pitfalls. It's why he should set rules and clear strict guidelines early =
to avoid embarrassing situations.  "For example, his Ministers should =
not:  "* Go into transactions where their private monetary interest =
could conflict with their public duty; "* Accept favours from =
organizations which have contractual relations with the Government"

 This was very sound advice.

But instead of heeding the advice and setting rules for his team, Qarase =
himself flagrantly violates all ethics of holding a public office by not =
only accepting favours from a private bank, but also avoiding the 12.5% =
salary cut, for at least a month, which his other ministers and the =
civil servants are to suffer from 1 August. If the leader of the team =
can engage in such gross violation of public office ethics, what can we =
expect from his subordinates?

If a democratically elected Prime Minister was found receiving favours =
from private companies, he/she would have been swiftly relieved of his =
duties and even prosecuted.

If the people of Fiji allow an unelected group of people to continue to =
make decisions in Fiji, then only they would be liable for blame for the =
financial abuse, the corruption and the general deterioration in their =
welfare.

6 August 2000


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>
<DIV>Are we going to accept this??? Surely, we are not that=20
helpless???<BR>&nbsp;<BR>They are at it=20
already.<BR>&nbsp;<BR>Yusuf<BR>&nbsp;<BR>Movement for Democracy in=20
Fiji<BR>&nbsp;<BR>331 City Road London EC1V 1LJ<BR>&nbsp;Office Tel: +44 =
(0) 20=20
7713 7377 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7713 7378<BR>&nbsp;Home Tel: +44 (0) 1474 872=20
908<BR>&nbsp;Email: <A=20
href=3D"mailto:yusuf.roshan@which.net">yusuf.roshan@which.net</A><BR>&nbs=
p;<BR>President:=20
Raymond Croxon QC&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Secretary/Treasurer: K=20
Bhagwandeen&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Chairman: Dr =
Y&nbsp;Roshan<BR>Administrative Board=20
Member of the European Institute for Asian Study (Think Tank =
of&nbsp;European=20
Members of Parliament): Mr Surur Hoda&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Human Rights=20
Co-ordinator: Mrs A&nbsp;Bhagwandeen&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Spearheading =
Legal Issues=20
on Fiji: Mr Victor Lal (Oxford University)&nbsp;&amp; Mr Norman =
Patterson=20
Barrister&nbsp;&nbsp; Information: Mr Vimal=20
Madhavan<BR><BR>&nbsp;<BR>&nbsp;<BR>&nbsp;<BR>&nbsp;<BR>FINANCIAL ABUSES =
THE=20
ORDER OF THE DAY<BR><BR>The people of Fiji have begun to see financial =
abuses by=20
the so called Interim&nbsp;Administration so early within its illegal=20
term.<BR>First, the people saw the recommendation for appointment by =
Qarase of=20
the&nbsp;largest Cabinet in Fiji's history. The recommendation of 20 =
Cabinet=20
rank&nbsp;ministers and 12 assistant ministers will cost the people of =
Fiji=20
about&nbsp;$750,000, inclusive of benefits, more than what the cabinet =
cost=20
under the&nbsp;Peoples Coalition.<BR><BR>Within a week we see the =
unelected=20
Prime Minister purchasing a new landcruiser&nbsp;costing the taxpayers =
$131,000.=20
Then Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka used the&nbsp;Malaysian donated limo =
PM001.=20
Prime Minister Chaudhry also used this vehicle.<BR>Now the unelected =
Qarase=20
tells the nation that PM001 is not suitable for him.&nbsp;Nor are the =
other=20
vehicles assigned to the PM's Office.&nbsp;And more vehicles are to be =
purchased=20
because the vehicles used by the Peoples&nbsp;Coalition ministers are =
not=20
"available" for the Qarase team. In total, the&nbsp;Peoples Coalition =
Government=20
is reliably informed, the taxpayers expect to foot<BR>another $500,000 =
for new=20
vehicle purchases.<BR><BR>Within a week, then, we see the Qarase team =
deciding=20
to squander over $1.3m.&nbsp;And Qarase has the temerity to ask the =
civil=20
servants to accept a 12.5% paycut&nbsp;because times are =
hard.<BR><BR>The=20
Peoples Coalition Government warns the taxpayers that this trend=20
in&nbsp;squandering public funds by the unelected regime will continue. =
We are=20
just&nbsp;seeing a small example of what is to come in the days=20
ahead.<BR><BR>During 2000, the Peoples Coalition Government had, after=20
thoroughly taking&nbsp;stock of the government vehicle fleet, decided =
that there=20
would be no more&nbsp;purchases of new vehicles. There were, and =
continue to be,=20
numerous vehicles&nbsp;which are either misallocated, or underutilized. =
This=20
state of affairs was&nbsp;inherited by the Coalition Government from the =
SVT=20
reign. The Peoples Coalition&nbsp;Government had decided to rationalize =
the use=20
of government vehicle fleet.&nbsp;Substantial savings resulted from this =
move to=20
improve financial efficiency.&nbsp;The funds saved were re-directed to=20
delivering the social package of the&nbsp;Coalition which benefited the =
ordinary=20
citizen.&nbsp;<BR><BR>The Qarase team has, within a week, reversed this=20
move.<BR><BR>And it is not only the financial indiscipline and abuse =
which=20
should worry the&nbsp;taxpayers. The rapidly emerging rise in graft and =
nepotism=20
should also be a&nbsp;major cause of concern.&nbsp;Only today (Sunday) =
are the=20
taxpayers and citizens informed that Qarase's<BR>salary and house rent =
is being=20
paid for by a private company, and that this&nbsp;will continue to be so =
at=20
least until the end of August. We are further told&nbsp;that Qarase is=20
negotiating with the same company the use of the company house&nbsp;in =
Domain=20
for the future.<BR><BR>This is a very serious matter. It means that the =
Prime=20
Minister of the illegal&nbsp;regime is accepting gifts from a private =
bank.=20
Without any doubt, this is the&nbsp;highest form of abuse of office and=20
corruption.&nbsp;Even the editorial of the Fiji Times of 29 July had=20
warned:&nbsp;"Along the way his [Qarase's] team will encounter the =
inevitable=20
temptations&nbsp;and pitfalls. It's why he should set rules and clear =
strict=20
guidelines early to&nbsp;avoid embarrassing situations.&nbsp; "For =
example, his=20
Ministers should not:&nbsp; "* Go into transactions where their private =
monetary=20
interest could conflict&nbsp;with their public duty;&nbsp;"* Accept =
favours from=20
organizations which have contractual relations with=20
the&nbsp;Government"<BR><BR>&nbsp;This was very sound advice.<BR><BR>But =
instead=20
of heeding the advice and setting rules for his team, =
Qarase&nbsp;himself=20
flagrantly violates all ethics of holding a public office by not=20
only&nbsp;accepting favours from a private bank, but also avoiding the =
12.5%=20
salary cut, for at least a month, which his other ministers and the =
civil=20
servants are to suffer from 1 August. If the leader of the team can =
engage in=20
such gross violation of public office ethics, what can we expect from =
his=20
subordinates?<BR><BR>If a democratically elected Prime Minister was =
found=20
receiving favours from private companies, he/she would have been swiftly =

relieved of his duties and even prosecuted.<BR><BR>If the people of Fiji =
allow=20
an unelected group of people to continue to make decisions in Fiji, then =
only=20
they would be liable for blame for the financial abuse, the corruption =
and the=20
general deterioration in their welfare.<BR><BR>6 August=20
2000<BR></DIV></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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