Ketan Lal Disappeared After Promising to Help Charity Find Funding Says Dau
FIJI NEWS
Member of Parliament Ketan Lal has been accused of promising to help the Hope Charity Committee find funding, then "running away," ignoring all their attempts at contact after he was their chief guest at last year's Hope Charity Carnival (2024).
Lal allegedly failed to follow through on promises of support, despite personally inviting the organisation to submit a formal proposal and attending the group’s high-profile charity event.
Speaking to Duavata News, Hope Charity Chairman Taniela Dau revealed that Mr. Lal made commitments to assist the Centre of Hope’s efforts, including helping them find funding for a proposed drug rehabilitation facility in Fiji, which he promised as part of being a chief guest at the 2024 carnival.
“He told us to submit a proposal, that he would help, and even mentioned potential opportunities through the Golden Age Home in Lautoka,” Dau said.
“We followed through on our end, sending him the proposal he requested, which cost us valuable time and resources, but after that, he (Ketan Lal) never spoke to us again, ignoring our attempts to communicate.”
The charity has now released evidence that they acted on Mr. Lal’s request.
An email dated 13 August 2024 shows the organisation formally submitting a proposal to Mr. Lal’s official email account.
“We kindly request your assistance,” the email read, attaching a letter detailing the Centre’s mission and data needs.
Despite this, the charity group claims there was never a response and that Lal pretended they didn't exist after "getting what he wanted".
Dau further said it was disheartening that Mr. Lal used a public platform to target the carnival rather than contacting the organisers directly and talking to them or lodging a complaint with authorities instead of going to social media.
These comments were aimed at a Facebook post made by Lal highlighting a number plate issue which Dau said should have been highlighted to the committee directly and reported to authorities instead of the charity event being used by Lal as a political game.
“This is a man who attended our event, smiled with our team, promised to help, and then turned around and used our name for cheap political shots,” Dau stated. “That’s not leadership; that’s betrayal.”
The Hope Carnival, run annually by the Centre of Hope, is a volunteer-led initiative that provides aid and visibility to street dwellers, survivors of abuse, recovering addicts, and vulnerable youth.
Organisers say their goal is not political but transformational—and they expected sincerity from leaders who engage with their cause.
“We don’t have corporate backers or political sponsors. We rely on truth, heart, and partnership.
When people like Mr. Lal let us down, they’re not letting us down—they’re letting down the very people we fight for,” said Dau.
Despite the setback, the organisation has reaffirmed its commitment to its mission and thanked government institutions, including the Nadi Police, Ministry of Employment, and Commissioner Western’s Office, for their ongoing support.
We have sent Ketan Lal questions regarding this allegation.
