Career policemen who spent many days over the years trying to catch Saimoni Rokotunidau every time he went on one of his criminal escapades say they are saddened and angry to see that he is now virtually Police Commissioner Esala Teleni's new best friend, thanks to the Yellow Ribbon program. He is a driver for what's supposed to be an "elite" police unit, the Strike Back Team. He is also apparently hearing complaints from his fellow prisoners and is "interceding" on their behalf to the commissioner and probably the Commissioner of Prisons.
Word is that he has pending criminal cases, but it's probably a foregone conclusion what will happen to them, now that a "new legal order" is purportedly in place and he is pals with Teleni.
This is yet another of the commissioner's "strategies" to fight crime, much like the enforced (and failed) Christian Crusade. It sure makes you wonder about the "national security" the authorities are always harping on about, although on the Prisons Department's website, the Yellow Ribbon program appears to now be their main focus with the slogan at the top of all pages reading: "The successful reintegration of offenders into the community is the best security for society."
Staying with the police force, we took a look at their spanking new website (another "positive" item on Fiji TV's 1 National News) which raised a laugh. Well, Connect did a good job of of the site, but the funny bit is where they h
ave "Regional News". Leaving aside the fact that the "top" regional story is about New Caledonia's rubbish being sent for recycling to Australia, it's the source of the story that's hilarious - the banned Radio Australia. The military regime this month shut down the station's transmitters in Fiji but it's own police force then helpfully points visitors to the Radio Australia site where they can read and listen to "negative" material on the regime's shenanigans. And what joy! - you can now lodge complaints online, never mind that you can barely get the cops to respond timely to an emergency by phone. Oh, and lo and behold, there's a "discussion forum", although at this posting nothing had so far been posted there. Presumably it will be appropriately censored as well, to prevent "negative" discussions. Funny how the regime that hates anti-regime bloggers, now appears to be embracing the very technology! And on a final note, check out the photo in the flash slideshow of the policemen who look more like mercenaries in dark glasses.---
UPDATE - October 6, 2009
Ahem! We hate to say it, but we told you so
Saimoni Rokotunidau, the very former prisoner who had become cosy in the Police Commissioner's office has been arrested on suspicion of armed robbery. The charge relates to a time when he was allegedly being a reformed person in the Fiji Police Force!
http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=130911
5 comments:
Were the Indian policemen too shy to get their pictures taken?
HAving read the Fiji Times article on the hardened criminal now becoming a p0lice officer, I was left dumbstruck, initially. Then, of course, the reality hit. Dictator Bainimarama and his croney will have these sort of people around them because that is another aspect of what Dictators do. Thugs and dictatorships go hand in hand ...and I bet this thug will also accept gifts and whatever else will come his way.
It seems to me that the blog Intelligensiya is doing its own censorship by not publishing contributions that raise alternative points of view,
The blog moderater did not publish my last contribution that was supportive of
The RFMF and Commodore Bainimaramna in steering Fiji towards democratic elections, where one man has one vote and there is no positive discrimination and all races have an equal footing in Fiji. Intelligensiya needs to note that not all Newspaper articles printed overseas are negative towards the Fiji Military Government. I read one in the Saturday Australian. ( Australia’s most eminent daily) which outlined some of Fiji’s biggest problems and noted that Commodore Bainimarama was the first to actually address these issues. Under previous Governments Fiji was was like a pussy wound with no immediate prospect of healing.Some of the prosposed changes would sent it back to the stone age. Like for example indigeneous land rights. Early in Fiji’s history Native land boards ensured leases and their tenure were guaranteed at reasonable rates which enabled Indo Fijian Cane farmers a fair & equitable profit. Same for the Tourists plants. There was a degree of racial harmony. Some Fijians by virtue of being born Melanesian have the idea that Fiji owes them a living and like the characters in George Orwells animal farm, they can get to eat the bread with out helping in growing the wheat. So we see a feudal type society grow , encouraged by politicians that punishes those people who want to work and enjoy the benefits ,they exodus the country and move overseas.
As a Kai loma I have sat and watched this evolve, over many years. I have seen greedy and unworthy Ratu’s keri keri goods ,services & grog from resort managers.There is a very dark side to Fiji politics and Frank Bainirmarama is tolerating none of it.He has one one rule of law for all. Despite the protestations of various overeas groups they always grudgingly admit that Frank is the first person in recent years to put a stop to this crap and put Fiji on the right track towards future prosperity.
stanb@ihug.co.nz
ph 027 221 7606 Global roaming
@ Stan -- as you can see we continue to honour your freedom of expression -- if you check you last 2 rants they were made in relation to archived posts.
You keep flouting your Kailoma-ness -- that is respected and we value our vasu but please honour us and learn how to spell Fijian its KEREKERE and not KERIKERI. Ya dig?
This shows us just "how as a kailoma watching this evolve" you have been watching at arms length and you are therefore very out of touch with things back home. Your spelling is a clear example as any.
Stan - absolute crap. If you really know Voreqe you will know that he has ALWAYS wanted to be the Big Man and he has not been adverse to receiving backhanders and back pats to get where he is today .... how dare you sit there in the comfort of your armchair in NZ and tell us what a fantastic piece of shit Vore is!
Like you know.
And since when has a coup been right, moral or legal?
FFS!
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