Fiji Sun

India trip for knee implant review, says Rabuka

- INOKE RABONU SUVA Edited by Losirene Lacanivalu Feedback: inoke.rabonu@fijisun.com.fj

Sitiveni Rabuka has confirmed that his trip to India was for medical reasons. The People’s Alliance party leader says his trip involved a review of his knee implant operation that he had undergone in 2006.

At a press conference yesterday, Mr Rabuka further revealed that comments made by his party’s general secretary Sakiasi Ditoka saying that he went to India on the invitation of the Indian Defence attaché was incorrect.

He said that the trip was privately sponsored. Mr Rabuka refused to reveal any particular­s of those that sponsored the trip.

“On the trip, I took the opportunit­y to go for a review of my knee surgery that was carried out and I had to go back to them to check if the implants that were put in 2006 were still in place and working,” he said.

“It was a coincidenc­e that the doctor that did the review was a close personal friend of Dr Modi who did the operation of the total knee replacemen­t in 2006.

“It was a great trip in and out and I was very well looked after in India.”

Mr Rabuka said he was also accorded the protocols of a former head of government while in India.

“The protocol people would have probably been notified of my visa applicatio­n and they were at the airport to meet me and accorded the proper protocol for a former head of government all the way to the hotel and during my trips around Delhi.

“I visited the headquarte­rs, but it was a Saturday and it was closed but I had toured around the outside of the Defence Headquarte­rs and on Sunday I had paid my respect at the war memorial.

“I came back last (Tuesday) night. It was a very good short tour.”

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