Sigatoka Town Joins the Fight
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Anti - Graft Newsletter ISSN 2076 - 3026 Volume 4, Issue 1 January - March 2012 Sigatoka Town joins the fight The Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption business practices in order to encourage more foreign launched its ‘Organisations Against Corruption’ investment especially in the tourism industry. campaign in Sigatoka on 29th February 2012. The formalities came to an end as FICAC Manager The Commission collaborated with Kriz Signs, a private Community Relations and Corruption Prevention; Mr. signage company and the Sigatoka Town Council Samisoni Ralulu addressed the need for the two major to boost public awareness regarding the existence, sectors to work together. causes and gravity of the threat posed by corruption. He said the FICAC campaign ‘Organisations Against This was done through the mounting of billboards Corruption’ was an initiative to encourage a more c o n t a i n i n g a n t i - c o r r u p t i o n visible, tangible and collective effort by members of messages at the business community and statutory bodies in the the Sigatoka fight against corruption and the bus stand. promotion of good governance. The aim of the campaign “Together we are is to foster, building a coalition s t r e n g t h e n , of organisations encourage and in the private and support citizen public sectors to engagement stand together in Anti- against corruption, C o r r u p t i o n working towards programmes a corruption free workplace e s p e c i a l l y and assuring the public that good governance, fair between the private and public sectors. treatment, accountability, transparency and respect for the rule of law are the key elements that guide The Sigatoka Town Council Special Administrator Mr. businesses and public officials in their everyday Aisea Tuidraki opened the day’s activities by delivering dealings,” said Mr. Ralulu. his keynote address stating that he wanted Sigatoka Town to be an example to the rest of Fiji. Mr. Ralulu also applauded the Sigatoka Town Council for practicing transparency and accountability through He said he wanted to make Sigatoka the most the submission of the council’s meeting minutes to uncorrupted town in Fiji and in the world. FICAC on a regular basis. Before concluding his speech, he urged the ratepayers Among attendees at the event were landowners, of Sigatoka to rise up to the challenge and to assist Sigatoka business community representatives, public FICAC in eradicating corruption. transport operators and residents of Sigatoka Town. Subsequent to Mr. Tuidraki, the General Manager FICAC also had an information booth set up which for the Outrigger on the Lagoon Resort, Mr. Peter the public took advantage of to gather information and Hopgood also delivered a few words on behalf of the lodge complaints to the FICAC officers present. tourism industry in Sigatoka. One complainant said she had heard about this event He said the Hoteliers along the Coral Coast were on a Fiji Broadcasting Corporation radio talk back show supportive of the initiative taken by the town council and rushed down to the bus stand to meet the FICAC and FICAC. Officers. He added that companies needed to operate with good CASE UPDATES COMMUNITY UPDATES FICAC NEWS Deputy Commissioner’s Message on key areas vital to FICAC’s This training was the first of its kind to be operational functions. offered to FICAC from another country. Codes of conduct, safety, A congratulatory note goes out to departmental functions and the Financial Investigator Mr. Ifraz Hassan Commission’s priorities for 2012 who received the Dux Award from the were highlighted during the three Fiji Police Academy upon the completion day training. of the four-week intensive Investigators Qualifying Course. In keeping in line with the Commission’s focus for 2012 - I extend my gratitude to all the companies ‘Intensifying Corruption Intolerance’ that have signed up to the ‘Organisations several Officers have undergone Against Corruption’ campaign. I am training both locally and overseas. grateful to these companies who have shown that they stand against Mr. George Langman This quarter alone has seen our corruption. Officers attending an Investigators The Fiji Independent Qualifying Course facilitated by The Sigatoka Town Council is also Commission Against the Fiji Police Academy, a Global to be commended on their active Corruption was off to a Programme on Anti-corruption and participation in the campaign as well as productive start for the year Assest Recovery hosted by Interpol their enthusiasm and efforts to become a 2012 with an Induction in New Delhi,Training for Trainers corruption free township. Training workshop for the and Production Management Commission’s 101 Officers facilitated by locally based Training I hope that other towns will follow their present in January. Productivity Authority of Fiji. lead and join FICAC in the fight against corruption. The workshop was held at the I would also like to thank the Novotel Conference Centre in Malaysian Anti-corruption Academy The Commission begins 2012 with Lami. (MACA) for facilitating on-the-job renewed enthusiasm and dedication to training for two of our Officers in ensure that the People of Fiji live a life Tailored for both current and March. free of corruption. new staff, the training focused FICAC Financial Investigator attains Dux Award from Fiji Police Even though he was surprised when he was awarded the Dux Award, Mr. Ifraz Hassan said that it was a goal that he had worked towards achieving when he started the month-long course at the Fiji Police Academy. The Financial Investigator said that before starting the Criminal Investigations Department Qualifying Course, he was encouraged by the Chief Commission Against Corruption Officer East Mr. Nemani Maucavu to strive to attain the Dux Award. Mr. Hassan said this encouragement from his superior really inspired him to work hard during the course. The Management and staff of FICAC congratulate Mr. Hassan on his outstanding achievement. The Dux Award is awarded to the student with the FICAC Manager Investigations Mr. Isireli Narawa (L) highest grades achieved during the course. looks on as Fiji Police Commissioner Mr. Iowane Naivalurua congratulates Mr. Ifraz Hassan (R) Mr. Hassan thanked the Deputy Commissioner and staff of FICAC for their appreciation and support. He is the first FICAC Officer to attain this prestigious award. “I thank the Deputy Commissioner and the Investigation Team for teaching me the techniques of investigation “I am proud to have received this award not only for and moulding me into a good investigator,” he said. myself but also for my organisation”. 2 January - March 2012 FICAC Toll Free 1322 www.ficac.org.fj INTERPOL TRAINING FOR FICAC MANAGER INVESTIGATIONS FICAC Manager Investigations Mr. Isireli Narawa (standing fifth from right) with course partcipants and Coordinators The need to work together as a global community to Mr. Narawa stated that this opportunity was an area fight corruption and money laundering was a key point which FICAC could pursue given the expertise available raised at the first ever Interpol Global Programme on within CBI. Anti- Corruption and Asset Recovery on 13th February 2012 in India. For the most part, the workshop was enlightening in terms of identifying the scope and depth of corruption The six-day workshop held in New Delhi was organised and the extent suspects would go to try and cover their by the Indian Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) tracks. and was funded by Interpol. FICAC’s Investigations Manager, Mr. Isireli Narawa, represented the The global effect of corruption and the sum of money Commission at the workshop. drained out from every nation’s economy has warranted a concerted effort by all to fight corruption. The workshop was to enhance the knowledge and skills of Investigators and Prosecutors in the latest tools The case studies presented brought out real issues and techniques of tracking assets of mass corruption faced by individual presenters in the course of their and the effective use of Mutual Legal Assistance in investigations as well as identifying the modus international investigations. operandi (method of operation) of corrupt individuals and methods of siphoning or laundering proceeds of This debut global programme had high profile guest crime. speakers who are recognised in India and internationally for their contributions to their field of work. Moreover, the subjects covered by presenters were precise and captured the points required by the A commonality amongst the speakers was their participants to fully understand the nature, depth and experience in uncovering major fraud and corruption the far reaching consequences of corruption. cases, the results of which were punitive judgments. A major stumbling block for participants was the varying Mr. Narawa found the practical training on the laws governing respective nations and the difficulties extraction of evidence from an electronic environment faced by law enforcement agencies and individuals very helpful. when trying to assist one another to tackle this issue, it was evident that all participating countries intend to The involvement of qualified and expert individuals in fight corruption by raising the stake and taking it to this subject had led Mr. Narawa to recommend them another level. to facilitate the lesson to FICAC IT personnel and investigators. The workshop was opened by the Minister of State from the Indian Prime Minister’s Office, Mr. V. Mr. Narawa said that given this technological age, Narayanasamy. suspects are more associated with cyber crimes and that it was prudent for FICAC to start up-skilling It was attended by anti-corruption Directors, senior it’s personnel to match the sophistication of crimes investigators, highly ranked legal practitioners, senior committed through electronic devices. military officers, police superintendents and assets tracing and recovery specialists from Fiji, Afghanistan, The Investigation Manager also found that CBI not only China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Nepal, the Philippines, offers a wide range of courses for FICAC investigators Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the United Kingdom, but also offers courses for Information Technology.