Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
One of Fiji’s top detectives – Serupepeli Neiko – has been “directed to go on leave” while being investigated for a corruption-related offence.
Fiji police confirmed that public prosecutors are probing abuse of office allegations against the Senior Superintendent, who is the director of the police forces’ criminal investigations department.
Local media have claimed that Neiko, who was also the former head of the Counter Narcotics Bureau, has been suspended from the force.
However, police spokesperson Ana Naisoro has firmly denied this.
“He and other senior police officers have been directed to go on leave because they have a lot of accumulated leave,” Naisoro told RNZ Pacific.
The office of the director of public prosecutions (ODPP) has stated that it is reviewing allegations against Neiko, but no charges have been laid.
The alleged incident is said to have occurred between 2021 and 2022.
“It could take some time to investigate before a decision is made,” an ODDP spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, the police have rejected claims made during a Parliament Standing Committee meeting this week that corruption is systemic within the organisation.
The state broadcaster reports that the Assistant Health Minister Penioni Ravunawa raised concerns about reports of police corruption and misconduct before the standing committee on foreign affairs and defence.
The committee was reviewing the police force’s 2021-2022 annual review report.
Acting Deputy Police Commissioner Meli Sateki reportedly told the committee that misconduct allegations are dealt with through established investigative processes.
Sateki said corruption was not part of the force’s culture and should not be viewed as an organisational problem.
He stressed that allegations against police officers were assessed and investigated before any action was taken.
“The officer will be suspended from work to allow a proper administration of the investigation,” Sateki said.
“This is a process that we have. But to send somebody directly home without having credible information, without evidence, without being sanctioned from an independent oversight, like the ODPP, it is something that we don’t encourage,” Sateki said.
Sateki added that the organisation is committed to ensuring that any officer found to have breached the law is held accountable through the appropriate legal processes.
