Pacific

Concern over new Fiji anti-corruption agency

15:10 pm on 5 June 2007

Concerns have been raised in Fiji about why the newly set up Independent Commission Against Corruption rather than the police has brought charges in relation to a death in Nadi last year.

The Commission's Chief Investigator, Nasir Ali, says three men have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder and accessory after the fact to murder.

He says the investigation was initially being handled by police:

"Just two weeks earlier on we had started an investigation into the immigration for corruption and all those and from there we had taken over the murder investigation because it is correlated to corruption investigation as well."

Senior Superintendent Ali said there had been a lack of action over the case while it was in the hands of the police.

He said the reason the Independent commission was set up was to be able to step in in the case of any concerns over corruption.

Fiji's Acting Police Commissioner, Romanu Tikotikoca, has told local media he is concerned at the manner in which the Anti Corruption Unit went ahead with investigating the Nadi death.

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