Police Commissioner corrupt, ineffective - Police

Police Commissioner corrupt, ineffective - Police

PEOPLES COALITION GOVERNMENT, FIJI

Issue No: 70; 29 September 2000

Police Commissioner corrupt, ineffective - Police

The Police Commissioner, Isikia Savua was involved in corrupt practices, says an recently retired Assistant Commissioner of Police.

ASP Subramani Rao told today's Fiji Sun that he was taking early retirement from the police force because of the illegal activities going on within the police force.

In a Hardtalk interview, ASP Rao also revealed the following:

a.. Savua gave specific instructions to the Police Riot Unit to not to attend to the riot in Suva on 19 May. He said "with the training and the equipment they have got, they surely would have had everything under control but they responded when the damage was done".

b.. Savua called in sick days before the coup, and "he even joked to one of the senior officers that he would be sick tomorrow [19 May]".

c.. There was no operation order prepared by Savua and even if some
officers wanted to respond within their capacity, they could not "because Savua was not there to give his instructions".

d.. Savua's trip out of the country at the height of the crisis questions his loyalty to the force.

e.. Savua approving ACP Operation's (Jahir Khan's) leave at the height of the crisis is questionable. "Jahir knew more about the crisis than Savua thought he did".

f.. Savua promised the police officer who transported cattle from Muaniweni to the terrorists at the Parliament Complex a trip to Solomon Islands. [Some police officers, under instruction from Savua, stole, butchered and transported cattle from the Muaniweni area, in police vehicles. to the terrorists on the Parliament Complex]

g.. Savua instructed that a police vehicle (GM772) be given to the Qaranivalu [high chief of Naitasiri and a key Speight supporter] "for making trips for rebel purposes".

h.. Savua uses three official vehicles (his predecessors used only one).

i.. A vehicle donated by a private motor company (Jack's Motor World) to the Police force was given a private number plate (CT177) by Savua. Later he traded-in the vehicle with Nivis Motors and got a Mitsubishi Pajero (no. DK777) and has kept it as his private car.

j.. Savua practised blatant nepotism in recruitment, training, transfer, and promotion of police and casual staff.

An inquiry into the involvement of Savua is currently underway. Savua's and Apisai Tora's wife's are sisters. Some terrorists informed a few hostages while the hostages were in captivity in the Parliament Complex that Savua was to become the Prime Minister after the coup.

END

29 September 2000

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