2 Jul 2007

Acting Fiji police commissioner sacked weeks before end of contract

3:40 pm on 2 July 2007

The contract of Fiji's acting Police Commissioner, Romanu Tikotikoca, with the Police Force has been terminated.

He told the Fijilive website that he had received a letter from the Constitutional Offices Commission informing him that his contract would expire today when he expected it to end in August..

Mr Tikotikoca says he's been told to officially hand over to the military deputy commander, Esala Teleni, today.

No reason has been given for sacking Mr Tikotikoca who left a lucrative job in Solomon Islands to take up the commissioner's post saying he was answering the call of his country.

Meanwhile, a senior police officer based in Nadi has appeared in the local magistrate's court charged with rape, perverting the course of justice and destroying evidence.

No plea was taken from Assistant Superintendent Dharmend Datt who was remanded in custody with the matter to go before the High Court.

The charges were brought by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption which is investigating other officers believed to have assisted Datt.