On the List

Saneem, have been added to the list of those issued with stop departure notices.

Last week (07/04), Fiji Sun published more than 2000 names that were posted on the Parliament website as a response to a written question during a Parliament sitting.

As of January this year, Mr Bainimarama, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum and Mr Saneem have been added to that list. It is unclear how many more names have been added. In an interview with the Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration, Pio Tikoduadua, said this was based on information he received pending investigations conducted by Police on the trio. He added that Mr Bainimarama and Mr Sayed-Khaiyum were issued their stop departure notices on January 31.

Mr Bainimarama was charged with abuse of office earlier last month relating to a complaint laid with the police by the University of the South Pacific in July 2019 in relation to the activities of former staff members of the university.

The Director of Public Prosecutions Christopher Pryde had said that Mr Bainimarama and former Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho were alleged to have arbitrarily and in abuse of the authority of their respective offices, terminated an active Police investigation.

Mr Bainimarama and Mr Qiliho appeared in court on March 10 and pleaded not guilty to charges. Mr Sayed-Khaiyum had been in a series of questioning by the Criminal Investigations Department with regards to a report lodged by the Acting Supervisor of Elections, Ana Mataiciwa in February.

Police Chief of Intelligence and Investigations, Acting ACP Sakeo Raikaci said it was related to various allegations of abuse of office and the use of forged documents. Mr Saneem was stopped from leaving Fiji while attempting to travel to Australia on February 3. He has also been investigated by Police with regards to a report lodged by the Acting Supervisor of Elections last month in relation to various allegations of abuse of office and the use of forged documents.

Mr Tikoduadua clarified he does not issue stop departure notices. In parliament last week, Mr Tikoduadua revealed that 2,371 holders of Fiji Passports in Fiji were prohibited to leave the country as of December 23, 2022.

This he said was due to a range of reasons, including TELS recipients, court cases, companies not fulfilling tax compliance with FRCS, and companies not fulfilling FNPF obligations.

Their system also had a record of 232 foreign nationals in countries that are prohibited to enter Fiji.