23 Jan 2007

Fiji inquiry into chief justice widened to include two other judges

11:10 am on 23 January 2007

The commission of inquiry which will investigate allegations against Fiji's suspended chief justice, Daniel Fataiki, is also expected to investigate two other judges.

Fiji TV reports that the Citizens Constitutional Forum which had made the original complaints against Mr Fatiaki to the president after the May 2000 coup had also cited two other judges.

They were the then chief justice, Sir Timoci Tuivaga, and current Appeal Court judge, Michael Scott, who were accused of drafting decrees in the Speight coup.

The TV report says at that time the director of he CCF, the Rev Akuila Yabaki, had called on President Iloilo to replace Justice Tuivaga on his retirement with an expatriate judge.

The interim attorney general, Aiyaz Sayed-Khayum, says it is up to the acting chief justice, Justice Anthony Gates, to determine the specific of how, what and who will be investigated in the judiciary.