WHAT RICHARD NAIDU MEANT

Suva lawyer Richard Naidu has clarified what he meant when he said: “we should not fear jail” while speaking at the Fiji Council of Social Services on Saturday.

His comment was misinterpreted by our reporter in yesterday’s Page 6 article.

Mr Naidu posed a question as to why one should complain to the commission when after all if somebody has done something bad or corrupt, which breached the law, it could be reported to the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption or to the Police or to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP)

“Why would you go to the Accountability and Transparency Commission because that route leaves you to a risk where you are going to end up in jail?” he said.

“If you want to bring a complaint and take it straight to FICAC, you don’t go to jail for five years if FICAC doesn’t like the complaint, you don’t get fined 10k.”

He added that the Code of Conduct should be a good thing. It’s always got its strength and its weaknesses but it shouldn’t be making lives hard. Mr Naidu said: “Why would you complain to the Commission?

“This is the most critical point, we should not fear jail. We are not the ones who should be fearing jail under a law about a breach of the code of conduct.” He concluded questioning whether there was a point to the law at all.

Fiji Sun apologises for any inconvenience caused. >Selita Bolanavanua