Press Release
Preliminary Findings on the Organisational Structure of FICAC
Posted by Media Team 04 October 2024
Nearing one month since being appointed as the Commissioner of the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC), Ms Barbara Malimali has conducted her audit into the organisational structure of FICAC and below are the preliminary findings.
In this year alone, FICAC had conducted the biggest recruitment drive the organisation had seen over the past years. From 1 January to 30 September 2024, a total of forty-four (44) Officers were recruited bringing the total staff roll to one hundred and fifty-four (154) Officers.
A breakdown of the recruitment is as follows:
- Eighteen percent (18%) of the recruitment were for positions within the Investigation Department;
- Twenty-three percent (23%) of the recruitment were for positions within the Legal & Prosecution Department;
- Sixteen percent (16%) of the recruitment were for positions with the Corruption Prevention Department;
- Eleven percent (11%) of the recruitment were for positions with the Administration Department;
- Seven percent (7%) of the recruitment were for positions reporting directly to the Office of the Commissioner; and
- Two percent (2%) of the recruitment was for a position in the Finance Department.
Justification provided for the recruitment was the need for more Investigators due to the limited manpower in the Investigation Department. For instance, there were only two Investigators based in the FICAC Labasa Office whereby Investigators from the FICAC Headquarters and Lautoka Officer were temporarily posted to Labasa on a quarterly basis to assist in the investigation of cases.
Furthermore, due to the Strategic Plan launch in February of this year, there were changes in the organisational structure such as the creation of a new unit within the Investigation Department known as the Economic Crime Unit, establishment of new positions reporting directly to the Commissioner and the segregation of the Legal & Prosecution Unit to have four more other units within the department, namely, the Complaints Unit, Prosecution Unit, Appeals Unit and the Economic Crime Unit.
Recruitment was also done to fill in positions left vacant after the resignation of Officers, relation of Officers to a different Department and the termination of Officers within the above-mentioned period.
On the creation of the Economic Crime Unit within the Investigation and Legal & Prosecution Departments, the team is assigned to pursue investigations for Civil Restraining & Forfeiture Action in Civil Court.
That is, whilst majority of FICAC investigations focuses on the various financial crimes or the illegal acts committed by individuals or a syndicate to obtain any form of financial benefit, the Economic Crime Unit runs an investigation simultaneously to
actual financial benefit (Proceeds of Crime / Tainted Property) derived from the criminal activity and immediately initiate Civil Action to
restrain and subsequently initiate Civil Action to
forfeit that financial benefits back to the state.
Furthermore, FICAC has also undertaken renovations works at its Headquarters and Warehouse to cater for the change in the organisational structure as well as the relocation of its Corruption Prevention Department.
There is still a lot more work to be done in FICAC and the Commission is committed to having all its pending cases completed whilst remaining independent in our work as prescribed under the law.
This week FICAC has charged two (2) cases, one matter amounting to over
FJD $123,000 and the other over
FJD $61,000.