7 Feb 2007

People hesitate to join Fiji Anti-Corruption Commission

8:01 pm on 7 February 2007

Fiji's interim administration is reported to be having difficulty in persuading suitable people to join its Anti-Corruption Commission.

The interim attorney general, Aiyaz Sayed-Khayum, has told Radio Australia that potential members fear they will be hit with travel bans if they accept a position.

Mr Sayed-Khayum says New Zealand and Australia have made it very clear that they are going to ban anybody associated with or appointed by the current administration.

He says this is stopping a lot of people from participating.

The interim attorney general says New Zealand and Australia did not do this in 2000 when the Qarase interim administration was in place but they see it fit to do so now.

Mr Sayed-Khayum says the Anti-Corruption Commission will look into a range of alleged acts of corruption and a team of people selected from the police force is now sieving through relevant documents.