Fiji's suspended chief prosecutor, New Zealander Christopher Pryde Photo: Christopher Pryde
Fiji's suspended chief prosecutor is demanding the President release the findings of an investigation into his alleged "misbehaviour".
New Zealander Christopher Pryde said he has heard nothing since a report on the inquiry was given to President Naiqama Lalabalavu a week ago.
Mr Pryde said there is no excuse for him being kept in the dark.
He wrote to the President on Friday, December 31, asking him what the outcome of the investigation was.
In his letter, he says:
"Under the constitution, the President must accept the advice of the Tribunal and the report must be published. That is a mandatory provision and is not subject to discretion."
"If the report advises that there is insufficient evidence of misbehaviour, then the suspension should be lifted immediately and I should be reinstated to my position as the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), with my salary and entitlements reinstated. "
"It has now been 20 months since I was suspended and nearly six months since my salary was suspended, causing me great financial hardship."
Pryde revealed in December that the government secretly offered him NZ$150,000 to resign and avoid the inquiry.
However, he rejected the offer and refused to attend the hearing, claiming he was financially unable to defend himself.
He was appointed as director of public prosecutions in November 2011 but was suspended on full pay in April 2023 by the former president, Ratu Wiliame Katonivere, on the advice of the Judicial Services Committee (JSC).
He was charged after being seen talking to the former Attorney General, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum at a public event last February, hosted by the Japanese Embassy in Suva.
At issue was whether or not Pryde had read a police file on an active investigation into Sayed-Khaiyum before they talked. Pryde maintains he has never seen the file.
Fiji's Attorney General at the time, Siromi Turaga, now justice minister, claimed the conversation between the two was tantamount to "misconduct."
Fiji's Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka subsequently said that people in high office needed to be "very aware of who is watching what we do," RNZ Pacific reported.
The government set up a tribunal in March this year to investigate the matter, then a month later charged him with receiving superannuation payments without the approval of the JSC.
Pryde's salary, superannuation and contractual benefits were then unilaterally cut by the government.
RNZ Pacific has approached the President's office and the Tribunal's secretariat for comment.
