Lynda Tabuya and Aseri Radrodro at the Victoria Parliament in Melbourne. August 2023 Photo: Victoria Parliament
Fiji's Deputy Prime Minister Biman Prasad said: "I don't want to add anything more" on the sex and drug scandal between the former education minister and women's minister.
Prasad said Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has made a statement regarding the allegations and he will refrain from commenting on the issue.
"If necessary, I am sure he [Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka] will make further comments," he told RNZ Pacific.
"The Prime Minister is the head of the government. I'm sure if there is anything new that he has to add on it he will obviously do that so I'll leave it with him," Prasad said on Monday.
"The prime minister has already made a statement on that and I don't want to add anything more to it" - Fiji Deputy Prime Minister Biman Prasad
According to the blog site, FijiLeaks, the rendezvous between the two MPs took place during a three-day ministerial trip to the Victoria Parliament - partly funded by the Australian government - in Melbourne last year.
RNZ Pacific has not received a response from Rabuka over the allegations despite numerous attempts to get him to comment.
Biman Prasad Photo: RNZ Pacific / Koroi Hawkins
Coalition cracks
Prasad also denied there are cracks within the Rabuka-led coalition, after Radrodro was axed as a Cabinet minister last Friday for "insubordination and disobedience".
According to Rabuka, Radrodro did not listen to directives regarding the appointment of the Fiji National University Council.
"There are ways to how ministers are to behave and do things," Prasad said.
"Any issues that arise as a result of decisions by the prime minister and the government as a whole will be taken by the coalition under the agreement we have as a three-party government."
He said there had been a lot of dialogue between the leaders of the three parties following Radrodro's dismissal.
"It remains to be seen how Sodelpa will deal with it," Prasad said.
'Hoping for good sense'
Radrodro is one of three MPs from the kingmaker party, Sodelpa.
He said he was "baffled" by his termination, saying he only received a letter of his dismissal after Rabuka announced sacking him on social media.
"I could only suspect that it was to do with the appointments of the FNU Council and its chairperson, as this is what I had been sent by colleagues who saw some media articles stating the same on social media.
"My termination letter simply stated that I was being terminated from the Ministers appointment for Ministry of Education, however it failed to provide a reason why."
In a news conference on Monday, Radrodro said "there were communication issues, which resulted in the Prime Minister not knowing what had truly transpired".
He said he acted on the advice of the government's chief counsel, the Solicitor-General, concerning the FNU Council appointments.
"I am hoping for good sense to happen as it must be accepted that it is unlawful to terminate someone who is upholding the law, no matter how difficult or frustrating that may look like."
Radrodro has asked the prime minister to rescind his decision "and this matter be noted as a miscommunication from various parties involved".