• Sharon Smith-John writes on Censorship and the Media and • Marc Edge compares Media Censorship in Singapore and Fiji.
14.10.11
Police clamp down on bad cops
The Fiji Police Force will continue to clamp down on corrupt police officers says Police Commissioner Brigadier General, Iowane Naivalurua. Naivalurua says these officers will be removed if they can’t change.
He says there are endless stories of police officers who are portraying a bad image of the force.
“We have stories and stories of bad cops, crocked [crooked?] cops, negative cops and we still want them within the force. You have my assurance this morning that we are trying our best to straighten these things out but we will never have a genuine honest relationship with these people around.* Simply the bottom line here is this - we have no place for bad officers within the force, corrupt officers within the force and insensitive officers within the force.”
Naivalurua says for an effective community partnership, the Police must treat people with respect and sensitivity.
He says the use of arrogance and rudeness will prevent the community from allying itself with police. Source: Fiji Broadcasting.
[* Ed. Note. The two sentences are contradictory. We want them; we want them not. I suspect this is due to imprecison or inaccurate reporting. The Commissioner clearly wants these people out of the Force. Thanks to "Nitemi" who picked this up. See Comments.]
AIR PACIFIC PLEDGES TO UPHOLD WORKERS' RIGHTS. This statement follows the introduction of the Essential Industries Decree that some say infringes workers' rights. The Airline does not deny it helped Government with the decree and says the arrest of pilot was due to his removal of confidential material on a range of issues. See tomorrow's Weekend Reading post on Arrests Not Helpful for Fiji's Image But ...
[* Ed. Note. The two sentences are contradictory. We want them; we want them not. I suspect this is due to imprecison or inaccurate reporting. The Commissioner clearly wants these people out of the Force. Thanks to "Nitemi" who picked this up. See Comments.]
AIR PACIFIC PLEDGES TO UPHOLD WORKERS' RIGHTS. This statement follows the introduction of the Essential Industries Decree that some say infringes workers' rights. The Airline does not deny it helped Government with the decree and says the arrest of pilot was due to his removal of confidential material on a range of issues. See tomorrow's Weekend Reading post on Arrests Not Helpful for Fiji's Image But ...
AIR PACIFIC and its subsidiary Pacific Sun together fly over 400 flights per week. The company operates B747, B767, and B737 aircraft from Fiji to 15 cities in 10 countries. Destinations include Hong Kong, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Vanuatu, and Solomon Islands. Air Pacific aircraft bring in 68% of all visitors who fly to Fiji. The Company employs almost 800 employees, earns revenues of F$600 million, and directly contributes 3% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).Pacific Sun operates a combination of ATR 42-500s and De Havilland Twin Otter aircraft on Fiji’s 10 domestic island routes and regional flights to Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
VATUKOULA'S 1st HIGH GRADE FIND IN 20 YEARS. This must be good news for the economy.
QARASE TRIAL DATE SET for the 31st. He is charged with nine counts, including abuse of office for allegedly tampering with shares for Fijian Holdings Limited when he was also Governor of the Development Bank.
RUDD IN FACEBOOK. Kevin Rudd has notched up 384,000 km in overseas air travel since becoming Foreign Minister, that's equivalent to flying to the moon.
13 comments:
Perhaps you mean the Fiji Development Bank - Qarase was never Governor of the Reserve Bank.
These charges are many many years old. All well before he became PM. When will Frank expose the corruption of Qarase as PM (the reason given for having to remove home) ? Or has he not been able to find any.
Another thought, is Frank not responsible for appointing a corrupt PM in 2006 if Qarase is found guilty. Or will he sidestep once again and blame some one else.
Pacific double speak at its best - "we still want them in the force"...and "we have no place for bad officers".
Is he suggesting they be given a second chance ? I think if any cop is found to be corrupt they should be removed. No second chances.
Great to se our former PM finally getting his day in court.
Croz,
I wonder what happens if the courts find him not guilty. He have seen a few high profile and vindictive cases fail so I assume the courts are reasonable independent.
If Qarase if found not guilty will the current PM apologise and will he be able to stand in the 2014 elections ? He was at least as popular as the current PM (without the ease of media control and PER).
In future under a new constitution and new government could he bring civil charges against Frank and the military for removing him from power.
I asked a friend and he said Qarase's cases will be held up until after the election to ensure he can't stand and just in case he wins....but a date has been set !
What
@ niti
When Francis Kean does not even lose his job for Man Slaughter and in fact goes on to recieve promotions, civil jobs and board position I think it is fair to give cops a second chance. Actually they should be fine to kill someone with there bear hands and continue on their merry ways no problems.
@ yea yea... My error. Thanks for the correction.
@nitemi... Thanks. I've added a note to the item.
But what about Chaudhary? He needs to have his day in court to defend his ill-gotten millions. He can afford expensive O'seas lawyer Qarase will have to rely on Qoriniase Bale. Both leaders became multimillionaires serving the poor. That's what 21st Century politics is. They speak the right words but do the wrong things. They pose as the champion of the poor but use their positions to make themselves rich, while the poor in Fiji go to bed hungry, with cramps in their stomach. The leaders feed on goat curry and Black Label while the poor (often guests of the poor) struggle to survive.
Fiji should not be poor but it should be Singapore of the Pacific but its leaders had opted to promote their selfish agendas that only increased poverty in Fiji. Look at the periphery of the main urban centres in Fiji where the poor live in shacks and shanties. It has grown exponentially and those that contributed to it should not escape punishment. Both Qarase and Chaudhary contributed to the situation to deteriorate and for their failures they must face the music.
It is not clear what this 747 pilot is all about. His name suggests that he is a cross between Indo/other, and his actions are anti govt. He must have been paid a decent amount to indulge in an activity contrary to ones terms of employment. Hopefully, the only "COCK-PIT" he sits in/on is the one on the outskirts of the capital Suva. You cant take a chance with one that can potentially fly a jet into an infrastructure. Simple solution is, lock him up and throw the keys away.
@ Sister Saras.....and the "name suggests"
Your unappetising reference to someone's name and how it came about suggests racism and bias. Are we correct? We thought we were getting away from all of that stuff? If we have not, then we must. Bias in matters of guilty/not guilty must be centred on the evidence and nothing else. You appear to have pre-empted a conviction. To what purpose?
Throwing away the key is also something we were supposed to be getting away from? Your comments appear to suggest that you do not believe in a Due Process; that your mind is already made up and that you have rarely, if ever, been in any Court in Fiji? Such intolerance in matters before any Court is unjustified. It might be termed contemptuous. Do you have a direct and undeclared interest in this? Other than as a taxpayer, that is?
Clamping down on rotten, unprofessional Police Officers is now vital for the future of Fiji. For at least eight years in some places, the Police themselves have become part of Fiji's problem: lazy, unprofessional and failing daily to serve those who pay them: the Fiji Public.
Of course, there are still some quiet examples of Police Officrs who despite all the odds and lacklustre company get on with the job and take pride in it.
They are the true and the unsung heroes of the hour. Who will ever acknowledge them in a climate of intimidation, threats, bribes and constant interference by organised crime and the crooked lawyers who travel this route?
Now we are beginning to learn just how corrupt and subverting some of these professionals have been. This is only the tip of an iceberg. The inaction of any Police Officer is a sign and a symptom of corruption. No more excuses remain for lack of ability, training or will.
Neither should religion have any role in this mix. Police Officers should be secular about their job. They are to be there whatever their personal belief for anyone who needs their assistance. If they are not, they shall be held fully accountable.
@Anonymous Getting away from
Your suggestion of me being racist by making reference to an unknown ethnicity will not hold any water in court either. FYI, I am all about restoration of democracy in 2014 as mandated by the late prez, and this govt should be allowed to get there unhindered. You must be a union fat cat, now relieved of your duties
'His name suggests that he is a cross between Indo/other, and his actions are anti gov' , i'll let that gem speak for itself.
@ sara'ssista
'His name suggests that he is a cross between Indo/other, and his actions are anti gov'
Cant find anything wrong with that description.Under your grand father's govt. he would have been called names such as: half-caste, kailoma, other race, etc.
I always find it amusing where people feel the need to defend their own behaviour by pointing to others behaviour they apparently abhor and criticiseas some sort of measure. is that your point of reference? 'Cant find anything wrong with that description.Under your grand father's govt. he would have been called names such as: half-caste, kailoma, other race.' how his race or ethicity came into it i would begin to try an work out. Plenty of locally born and raised people would do the same and ARE doing the same by releasing documents, presumably with this thinking ALL mixed race or dual nationals are under suspicion.Perhaps this regime should just say that. Isn't the PS for Misinformation an australian?
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