4 Mar 2016

Qiliho appointed Fiji police commissioner

8:52 pm on 4 March 2016

A former Fiji military commander, Sitiveni Qiliho, has been confirmed as the country's new police commissioner.

The announcement was made this evening by the Constitutional Offices Commission, led by the prime minister Frank Bainimarama, which also confirmed Viliame Naupoto as the new military commander.

Mr Bainimarama's brother-in-law, Francis Kean, a former Navy commander who in 2006 was convicted of manslaughter, has also been appointed as prisons commissioner.

Mr Qiliho was appointed as acting police commissioner after the sudden resignation of Ben Groeneweld last year.

Mr Groenweld swiftly left the country and returned to South Africa, and cited constant military interference in the work of the police.

Mr Qiliho is the third senior military officer to run the police force since the 2006 coup.

The Constitutional Offices Commission had declined to say how many people have applied for any of the positions.

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