Charlie Charters addressed the media outside a courtroom today, alleging that recent actions taken against him represent an attempt to stifle whistleblowers within the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC). He expressed concern that enforcement resources are not being utilized effectively, questioning whether the current situation is genuinely making Fiji safer from corruption.
Charters remarked, “The person they’ve chosen to jump all over is me,” emphasizing that this approach does not contribute to making Fiji a more secure or free nation. He highlighted that corruption is a pressing issue, claiming it remains unaddressed by the current leadership in FICAC.
He stated, “These are real issues which I don’t think are being handled responsibly or sensitively by the leadership team within FICAC,” indicating his willingness to elaborate on these concerns in the future. Charters criticized the allocation of investigative resources, pointing out that they seemed disproportionately directed at detaining him, rather than addressing the broader, systemic issues of corruption that affect the country.
He concluded by suggesting that the challenge of corruption in Fiji is as significant, if not more so, than previously acknowledged, mainly due to efforts being made to suppress whistleblowers. This situation highlights the ongoing challenges Fiji faces in combating corruption while ensuring the protection of those who bring such issues to light.