President's Office defends Fatiaki

Issue No: 770; 17 May 2001

 
The Office of the President has come to the defence of Justice Daniel Fatiaki saying that there is no evidence of him influencing the decisions of the deposed President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara.

Today's Fiji Times reports that in an affidavit filed by the Official Secretary of the President's Office, Jeremaia Waqanisau, Waqanisau states that there is no record of advice or legal assistance given by Fatiaki to the deposed President last May when the Government was held hostage.

The President then was Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara. Mara had informed the lawyer for the Citizens Constitutional Forum that he had received the advice from the judges. But Fatiaki refused to accept this evidence on the basis of hearsay.

The CCF is asking Fatiaki to disqualify himself from hearing its challenge of the legality of the Qarase regime.

Waqanisau was posted to the Office of the President in January this year. His defence of Fatiaki was expected since the CCF case effectively challenges the lawfulness of the President's decision to dissolve the Parliament and to reappoint Laisenia Qarase to the Prime Ministership. Fatiaki has been specifically assigned by the CJ to hear this case. Fatiaki was one of the three judges, including the Chief Justice who advised the then President to dismiss the Prime Minister and dissolve the Parliament when the government was held hostage. He also had helped draft the military decree on the judiciary which abolished the Supreme Court. The Fiji Court of Appeal later upheld the Constitution.

 

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