Since establishing itself in 2014, Grace Road has expanded its business empire throughout the country. Photo: OCCRP
The leader of a Korean Christian cult group, Grace Road, Daniel Kim has been arrested by Fijian authorities and is being detained at the Suva Remand Centre.
A member of the group says Fiji's home affairs and immigration minister has a personal agenda against them.
On September 7, the minister, Pio Tikoduadua, announced that six members of the Grace Road Church - which has built a major business empire in the country in the past decade - had been declared prohibited immigrants after their passports were nullified by the South Korean government, and have been wanted by Interpol since 2018.
Tikoduadua said two members were successfully deported, while two others were released after a court injunction, while two others, including the group's leader Kim were on the run.
He said the former FijiFirst government had ignored the red notices and Interpol warrants against the six.
From 2015: Fiji's Minister for Agriculture Inia Seruiratu, now the FijiFirst parliamentary leader and opposition leader with Grace Road Food Company president Daniel Kim at the visit Grace Road Food Company's Navua Farm. Photo: Facebook.com/Grace Road Food Company
However, later that same day, Kim held a media conference and delivered a statement, rebuffing Tikoduadua's claim that he was in hiding and demanded an apology from the minister for calling the members of the group "criminals and fugitives".
Since then, Kim has been arrested, as reported by fijivillage.com.
Tikoduadua confirmed to fijivillage.com that there is a court order that stops Kim from being removed from Fiji, but the government is appealing the court decision.
However, in a video statement released on Saturday by one of Grace Road's director's, the situation between the government and Grace Road was described as "an attack on the entire company, a religious group of 400 people, and valued local employees".
Grace Road Church director Ahrum Song Photo: Facebook.com/@TruemartFiji
"The minister portrayed our president [Kim] as a fugitive. For many years, our president has been operating the business in public in Fiji," Ahrum Song said
"While our president was detained, the other members named in the court proceedings were released," he said.
"Why is he the only person detained out of all on the same court order? Is it because he is the president of the company?"
Song said Tikoduadua "seems to be trying to disrupt" Grace Road's business and claimed that detaining Kim was "to suppress his right to speak and explain" the groups position.
The press statement was clear enough --- that the Interpol Red Notice described these individuals as "Fugitive wanted for Prosecution". pic.twitter.com/EjqJcyVVwv
— Pio Tikoduadua (@piotikoduaduafj) September 8, 2023
He said the actions of the government was "a clear and blatant breach of his constitutional rights".
"This is an abuse of power and authority against a religious group and business entity. Fiji is a country with religious freedom. How could this religious oppression happen in Fiji?
"It is clear the immigration minister is singling GR Group out and trying to damage our business and to disrupt our community of faiths.
"This raises a question of whether the immigration minister has a personal agenda against GR Group."
RNZ Pacific has contacted Tikoduadua for comment. We have yet to receive a response.
Grace Road Church leader Daniel Kim say he is not hiding and demands Fiji's home affairs minister to apologise. 7 September 2023 Photo: fijivillage.com
But as the leaders of the doomsday sect remain embroiled in a public clash with the Fiji's home affairs minister, they have also launched a social media campaign in which local Fijians are seen posing with signs that read '#Justice4Grace' to protest the arrest and detention of its leader.
Kim, now in custody, told local media during his press conference last Thursday that: "We, Grace Road are true Fijians."
