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Fiji Police Describe Leaked Explicit Video Of MP An Intrusion Of Privacy
Margot Staunton, Senior Journalist
Fiji police are investigating who leaked an explicit video of former cabinet minister Lynda Tabuya.
The former minister for women, children, and social protection has lodged a complaint with the police cybercrime unit, saying that circulation of the private video was a grievous form of cyberbullying.
The explicit clip went viral and prompted Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka to dismiss Tabuya from his Cabinet, a decision he said was best for the people.
The contents of the video, which is said to involve Tabuya and her husband, have caused scandal and a public backlash.
Tabuya, who had been pushing to ban porn sites in Fiji, has described the leak as nothing short of gender-based violence.
"This is the grim reality of what two-thirds of women and girls in Fiji face, its gender-based online violence," she said in a statement.
"This is a grievous form of cyber-bullying and must stop if we are truly committed to ending violence against women and girls in Fiji.
She said there was nothing illegal or immoral about sharing private videos and images between two consenting adults who are in a relationship.
"In this case, it was me and my husband," she said.
Deputy police commissioner of operations, Livai Driu, told RNZ Pacific that cyberbullying was a serious crime on many fronts.
"We want to get to the people who have been circulating that because that's against the law, it's a human rights issue and it's an intrusion of privacy.
However, he said Tabuya's case would not receive special treatment, because she was a politician.
"We treat all Fijians the same, no one is above the law here," he said.
Despite her removal from Cabinet, Tabuya retains her position as a Member of Parliament. She was replaced by her assistant minister Sashi Kiran.
However, calls for her resignation from Parliament have surfaced with critics citing the incident as damaging to public confidence.
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