Transcript
The Fiji NGO Coalition for Human Rights says the investigation into last year's torture video could have been completed a long time ago.
The nine-minute video shows a handcuffed man being beaten by men in plain clothes, with one man being set upon by a dog as its handler urges the animal on.
Last week, the Police Chief of Operations, Rusiate Tudravu, confirmed that the case had been closed, but the Police Commissioner, Major General Ben Groenewald, now says the investigation is still open.
The incident prompted the New Zealand parliament to unanimously pass a motion condemning the beating and torture.
Walter Zweifel spoke to the chair of the NGO coalition, Shamima Ali, who says it is good the probe is still open.
SHAMIMA ALI: We have expectations from the commissioner. There have been some positive changes since he came on board and I'm not at all surprised because I was waiting for a reaction. I read the piece in Fiji Village and so I'm not surprised and I'm really glad that it has taken this turn.
WALTER ZWEIFEL: Do you think that the Police Commissioner was not advised about the closure of this case?
SA: I don't believe so because this case has gone on for long enough. And I believe as with many other things in our police force, there has been a lot of cover-up and I think this is going to be swept under the carpet, because we've been hearing excuses all along of why, why they could not identify the officers and so on and so forth.So I really don't think he was well-advised, I think he was ill-advised about the case.
WZ: Ratu Inoke Kubuabola and even the Prime Minister have essentially backed the offenders, saying that for one New Zealand should not criticise this and secondly rear Admiral Bainimarama said he was standing by his men, how does that stack up now?
SA: Well this will really test the regime's claim that it is democratic and so on and so forth, and that they don't interfere in these cases. If they do not interfere, I think this will really test their position because once the Commissioner has made that announcement, it'll be very interesting to see how things develop from here.
WZ: What is a possible time frame that the Fiji public would expect that this case can be solved?
SA: If you watch that clip, it's very clear who the perpetrators are and I have friends who are retired police officers and so on who can identify the officer within that video, so that wasn't a problem at all. It should have been closed a long, long time ago, people should have been brought to task by now. but because of the kind of government we have at this point in time, and the human rights abuses the people of this country have already experienced over the last eight years or so, I believe this has been dragged on for a great cover-up of the security forces. I believe if people have the political will, if the Police Commissioner is allowed to carry out what he said, I don't think it should even drag until the elections, I think it can be closed before the election.
