Issue No: 888; 27 June 2001

Sources reveal that tickets costing $250 per person were sold for the function. Sources also reveal that there may not have been a permit for such a function, or for the sales of such tickets. It is also believed that a permit for VAT was not taken, nor was any VAT paid on the funds raised.

The tickets were circulated within the business community in Suva and other towns. Most of the tickets were circulated within and bought by Fiji's Gujarati community. The Gujarati community controls a large section of the wholesale, retail and manufacturing industries.

It is believed that two major ethnic Indian businessmen, one in the food business and another in the hardware business, and both alleged to have been involved in financing the terrorists, were the masterminds behind the fundraiser.

Tuakitau Cakanauto is a Minister in the Qarase regime.

Cakanauto was elected to Parliament in 1999 on the Fijian Association Party ticket under a controversial vote recount. Immediately upon entering the Parliament, he began condemning the People's Coalition Government manifesto, leading to a bitter attack of the Leader of the Fijian Association Party Adi Kuini Speed.

As the tussle for leadership within the Fijian Association Party continued, Cakanauto was projected as the country's Prime Minister by a section of the business community, and by a monthly news magazine aligned to the National Federation Party and the business community. Cakanauto lost the leadership challenge twice - once in the courts, and again at the Party's Annual General Meeting. The Cakanauto challenge was initiated and financed by an ethnic Indian businessmen, who had kept Cakanauto on the board of one of his companies.

On 19 May 2000 Cakanauto met the terrorists who had taken the elected government hostage, and on 20 May he lent them support in return for cabinet positions in the Speight Cabinet. In July 2000, he was appointed a Minister by Laisenia Qarase.