Dramatic developments at Fiji's Independent Commission Against Corruption reveal broader teething problems with the country's transition from dictatorship to democracy.
Even by Fiji an standards of high political drama, the arrest of the country's new anti-corruption commissioner on her first day in the job was extraordinary.
"The public needs to know that the appointment was done in haste," said Ms Puleiwai, who promptly resigned as acting deputy after Ms Malimali's arrest.Separate to that, Ms Puleiwai also alleged there was political interference into FICAC's other investigations into senior members of the government. "Let me do the work so I can serve the people of this country the way I should serve them, and the way FICAC should serve them."Ms Malimali told the ABC that half a dozen officials turned up to arrest her and held her for four hours.Fiji's Attorney-General Graham Leung condemned Ms Malimali's arrest, describing it as "unseemly", "unbecoming" and "severely open to question".
Mr Rabuka, the prime minister, has said his cabinet will establish a commission of inquiry to investigate FICAC's processes.Responding to Ms Puleiwai's claims of threats to her family's safety, Mr Rabuka said the situation in Fiji was safe and stable.How has social media shaped the fallout? The judgement said whether they swam together or the judge simply stayed and watched Ms Malimali swim was "not critical to the interpretation of the events".
Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption Barbara Malimali Francis Puleiwai Democracy Frank Bainimarama
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