Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka sporting a gold Rolex watch (circled). Photo: Facebook / Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka
New allegations have emerged that Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka received a NZ$113,000 gold Rolex watch from disgraced backbencher Lynda Tabuya.
According to a veteran journalist and blogger, one of the country's deputy prime ministers, Manoa Kamikamica, is spreading the rumour to discredit Rabuka.
Rabuka has refused to answer allegations about the watch's origins, saying he has the right to remain silent.
However, Kamikamica has denied spreading the rumour.
The rumour came from the editor of the Grubsheet blog, Graham Davis, who was press secretary to former Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama.
Kamikamica said the suggestion was ludicrous.
"It's absolute nonsense," he told RNZ Pacific.
"I know the source of that rumour, a certain former Australian journalist that had a very highly paid position with the former government, and is now casting aspersions on everybody from afar."
He added that he had no idea where the watch came from.
Manoa Kamikamica, left, and Sitiveni Rabuka. Photo: Facebook / Manoa Kamikamica DPM
Davis claimed his sources are impeccable.
"The sources from within the [ruling] People's Alliance (Party), who have given me this information, are well-placed" he told RNZ Pacific.
"There are also links to the Rabuka family who say that Rabuka's grandchildren have said that grandpa's watch came from Lynda [Tabuya]," he said.
When told that Davis was a multiple award winning reporter, Kamikamica said: "He may well win awards in Australia, but certainly, the calibre of stuff he is reporting around here in Fiji is really pathetic in my opinion."
However, Davis has hit back, saying "I'm so discredited that I've won all of the major prizes for journalists in Australia. I shall rest on my 50-year reputation for getting it right."
"I feel quite justified in floating the suggestion, with a view to him demonstrating that it's wrong, not launching a personal attack on me."
Kamikamica said spreading rumours was not his style.
"I have nothing but total respect for Tabuya and her husband. We are political colleagues and we stood shoulder to shoulder to get rid of the previous regime.
Tabuya, the former minister for women, children and social protection, was dumped from Cabinet after she appeared in a private video dancing naked on Christmas Eve.
Rabuka decided not to expel her from the party last month "in the spirit of second chances".
Asked if he knew why the Prime Minister remained silent about the gold bling, the Kamikamica said: "Sometimes people do not wish to engage because they think it's totally irrelevant."
"Like I said, you're certainly not going to get any answers from me," he added.
Meanwhile, one of Tabuya's allies, Fiji Women's Crisis Centre coordinator Shamima Ali said Tabuya did not need to buy off the Prime Minister.
"Lynda [Tabuya] already has a lot of influence in the ruling party," she said.
The government's director for information, Samisoni Pareti said Rabuka did not need to answer false allegations.
