Issue No: 852; 14 June 2001

The latest scam revealed has been the hiring of an expatriate with close links to a regime Minister, as a consultant.

The expatriate is alleged to have even stayed at the home of the regime's Minister for Women Adi Teimumu Kepa. At the time she did not have a valid work permit.

A work permit was acquired for the expatriate under suspicious circumstances. She was then given a lucrative consultancy job at the same ministry. Funds from the poverty alleviation fund were diverted to pay for her fee.

The elected Minister for Women, Lavenia Padarath has hit out at the scam. Padarath stated that the job could have been easily done by locals. She also questioned the use of poverty alleviation funds to pay the consultant, saying aid funds could have been tapped to pay for the fee if a consultant was genuinely needed.

Kepa has been slammed by the NGO's. The Fiji Times has also slammed the decision to use poverty funds for the consultant.

Kepa has announced that she will contest the August elections in Rewa.

Meanwhile another regime minister has joined the election race. The one-time respected diplomat, Kaliopate Tavola, who had earlier stated that he would not contest the election, announced yesterday that he was considering contesting the Suva Open or the Lami Open seats under Qarase's new party.