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CHIEF JUSTICE: TRIBUNAL TO LOOK INTO COMPLAINT
THE Solicitor-General Sharvada Nand Sharma has been suspended from his job pending a tribunal hearing, Chairman of the Judicial Services Commission and Chief Justice Kamal Kumar confirmed last night.
The suspension is related to a complaint that has been filed with the JSC against Mr Sharma.
“The President suspended him yesterday (Monday),” said Justice Kumar.
When asked if this was done on the advice of the Judicial Services Commission, Justice Kumar replied “yes”.
“A tribunal will now be set up to investigate the complaint.” Justice Kumar declined to comment on the nature of the complaint and who the complainant was. Meanwhile, Mr Sharma was approached for comments at his home in Laucala Beach Estate in Nasinu yesterday. He refused to make any comment about his suspension and requested that his rights be respected. He referred all queries to Chief Justice Kumar.
SUSPENDED Solicitor-General Sharvada Sharma should stand his ground against anyone bullying him into resigning. This was a statement made by Fiji Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry after Mr Sharma’s suspension on Monday.
He said if Mr Sharma was suspended for alleged misbehaviour, then a tribunal should be appointed to investigate.
Mr Chaudhry said it was the second incident within a week of a high ranking civil servant being either summarily dismissed or suspended.
“The first case was that of the CEO of the Bureau of Statistics, Kemueli Naiqama, who was dismissed after he released the findings of the Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2019/20 providing statistical data separately for each ethnic and religious community,” Mr Chaudhry said.
In the case of Mr Sharma, Mr
Chaudhry said he suspected the decision was made after the court ruling in the Niko Nawaikula case.
“The axe is now falling. “Those in the high echelons of the civil service must be on their guard. If they fall out of line, they are likely to meet the same fate.
“They need to act now to protect themselves and not allow themselves to be bullied.”
Meanwhile, Mr Sharma was approached for comments at his home in Laucala Beach Estate, Nasinu yesterday. He refused to make any comment about his suspension and requested that his rights be respected.
He referred all queries to Chief Justice Kamal Kumar.
Chief Justice Kumar, who is also the chairman of the Judicial Services Commission, confirmed that Mr Sharma was suspended from his duties on Monday.
Efforts to get comments from Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum on Mr Chaudhry’s statement were unsuccessful.