Fiji Interim Finance Minister Probed Over Alleged Tax Evasion

During the coup last December, insurgent forces proclaimed that they were taking power so that they could root out corruption and restore the rule of law to the people of Fiji.  This mantra has been repeated incessantly as national and international observers have wondered at questionable practices that the interim government has engaged in since taking power.  Up to now the questions of whether the interim government could put its money where its political mouth is have been more speculative, but allegations emerged in the last few days that might implicate a senior interim finance minister (he has remained unnamed to date), which will determine if the government will place morals over cronyism and launch a full scale investigation against one of their own.

The senior minister has been accused of not reporting up to 107,000 USD a year.  The Fiji Daily post has reported that the minister has been investigated at least four times by the Fiji Revenue and Customs Authority.  Kenneth Zinck, general secretary of the authority's Staff Authority, has been vocal about his call for an investigation.  He insists that if the interim government is able to march in and proclaim an end to corruption then they should not turn a blind eye to these allegations.  He also insists that if the interim government can categorically remove the tax files of suspended chief justice, Daniel Fatiaki, they should do the same for the finance minister. 

It would appear that Zinck's wishes are being at least partially fulfilled as the Fiji government has already taken affirmative steps into looking into this scandal, but those steps have been those that Zinck would likely approve.  The Fiji Daily Post has reported that its own Chief of Staff Imanueli Tumoi has been brought in by the Fiji military for questioning in regards to this story and its reporting.  In reponse to the Daily Post's story reporting Tumoi's detention, Colonel Pita Driti told the Fiji Times Online that no one that he knew of had been taken in and the would certainly be the first to know. 

For more, please see:
"Calls to probe alleged tax evasion of Fiji interim minister" Radio New Zealand International (31 July 2007)
"Chief of Staff Questioned" Fiji Daily Post News (31 July 2007)
"Call for interim minister probe" Fiji Times Online  (31 July 2007)