13 Jul 2004

Fiji Government says its still to decide on details of its inquiry into military commander

3:22 pm on 13 July 2004

Fiji's Attorney General says the terms of reference for a commission of inquiry into Commodore Bainimarama's alleged plans to over throw the government are still being worked on.

There's a fight undeway in Fiji over the issue and local media report that the military has asked the president to drop the inquiry altogether.

The Attorney General, Qoriniasi Bale, declined to discuss the nature of the terms and conditions, saying they were yet to be approved by the president.

"Whatever views I have on that will have to go first to the prime minister who is the minister responsible. And then he of course will have to use that as the basis on which he discusses it with the president, who will issue the terms of reference before it goes public. There's a lot of versions going public here, but that's all speculation."

Mr Bale says that while his advice is being sought on various aspects of the inquiry, it falls under the portfolio of the Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase.

He says that he is not at liberty to disclose when the inquiry will take place.

Meanwhle the military spokesman, Captain Neumi Leweni, says there's been no request by the military to drop the inquiry.