MP Premila Kumar Calls for Immediate Resignations Following Damning Legal Inquiry

Opposition Member of Parliament Premila Kumar is demanding the immediate resignation of senior legal officials after a Commission of Inquiry (COI) revealed systemic failures within Fiji’s legal fraternity, raising serious concerns about integrity and accountability in the justice system.

The Commission’s findings have sparked public outrage, confirming what many in the legal and political arenas had feared: that the rot runs deep and implicates some of the country’s most senior legal figures.

“The legal fraternity is at the centre of this scandal,” said MP Kumar in a strongly worded statement. “Those entrusted with safeguarding the rule of law have instead overseen one of the most reckless appointments in our recent history.”

The controversy stems from the appointment of Barbara Malimali as Commissioner of the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC), a decision Kumar labelled as “blatant incompetence” on the part of the Judicial Services Commission, chaired by Chief Justice Salesi Temo.

“The Chief Justice must be held accountable,” Kumar stated. “This is not simply an error in judgment — it is a failure of the entire appointment process that undermines public confidence in the justice system.”

Kumar also criticized former Attorney-General Graham Leung, accusing him of failing to conduct proper due diligence prior to Malimali’s appointment. “He either ignored the red flags or chose to bypass them,” she said, raising questions about a possible conflict of interest dating back to Malimali’s previous role as Chair of the Electoral Commission, during which she recommended Leung for the position of Supervisor of Elections.

Kumar likened the situation to what she called “the shenanigans at the DPP’s Office,” referencing controversial appointments involving Rabuku and Tikoisuva.

She further alleged that a “rescue team” made up of senior legal figures—including the Chief Registrar, Presidents of the Fiji Law Society (past and present), and other private lawyers—stood by in silence and failed to act when FICAC staff were reportedly harassed and intimidated on 5 September 2024.

“This profession is in crisis,” Kumar declared. “What moral authority do these senior lawyers now have to guide the next generation?”

She urged the public to question whether justice in Fiji is selectively enforced. “Is the law only for the weak while the powerful hide behind their titles?” she asked. “Are our courtrooms becoming nothing more than lecture halls where justice is preached but not practiced?”

MP Kumar is calling for the immediate stepping down of all those named or implicated in the Commission’s report.

She listed Chief Justice Temo, Chief Registrar Mr Bainivalu, Solicitor General Mr Ropate Green, Fiji Law Society President Mr Whylie Clark, and DPP Office member Rabuku among those who must resign to allow independent investigations to proceed without interference.

“If justice is to mean anything,” Kumar said, “accountability must start at the top — and it must start now.”