Report on Lagilagi Housing to be referred to police

Report on Lagilagi Housing to be referred to police

By Lena Reece
Thursday 30/05/2019

A report by the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission on the investigation regarding Lagilagi Housing has found anomalies pertaining to governance, risk management and numerous financial issues, which will now be referred to Police and other authorities for individual investigations.

While speaking on the report, Minister for Industry Trade and Tourism Premila Kumar has stressed that this is one such instance where government partnered with a NGO, People’s Community Network and PCN has let down the Fijian people.

Kumar adds that some of the financial issues that were highlighted in the report include improper record-keeping of finances, making unauthorised alterations to receipts, suspicious unexplained transactions in PCN staff personal accounts, anomalies in processes for issuing offer letters and housing units and unaudited financial statements.

She also revealed that the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission investigation showed that PCN staff were given loans from PCN trading accounts and this has not been accounted for.

Kumar also stresses that a number of people who have paid a substantial amount of money to PCN for a housing unit are actually not ineligible.

She says the Ministry has decided that it will take over the operations of the Lagilagi Housing Project from People’s Community Network.

The Minister says that government will pursue means of housing more than 70 families who were promised a housing unit but never received one adding that the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission will pursue court proceedings to have the ineligible residents at Lagilagi Housing evicted.

Kumar has also stressed that the Commission is working with the Police Fraud Unit to carry out individual investigations of the 370 complaints that have been received.

She adds that the relevant authorities will also file charges against the directors and board members of PCN for any unethical practices found to be in breach of the law.

The Minister for Trade says that government has paid $12.7m for the project completion, however PCN had run out of funds prior to the completion of the project.

Kumar stressed that government will not tolerate any abuse of funds, especially when it was given to build low cost housing for Fijians living in the vicinity adding that those found engaged in such activity will face the full brunt of the law.

ADVERTISEMENT

MH Moneygram
MH Online Shopping Banner
FEATURE NEWS
Secretary of the President was summoned and picked up to answer questions on why Malimali was not suspended
There are revelations that the Secretary to the President’s Office was picked up in a vehicle and summoned to appear before the Commission of Inquir...
7 hours ago
LATEST NEWS
What are you trying to change in the 2013 Constitution: Ketan Lal asks Govt
Opposition member Ketan Lal is questioning the Government on what exactly are they trying to change in the 2013 Constitution or are they simply ...
7 hours ago

Drivers will lose their livelihood and license if they test positive for drugs - Tuisawau
People will lose their livelihood and their licenses if they test positive for drugs when applying for Public Service Vehicle license or applying for ...
7 hours ago

$99M paid out to BSP Life customers
$99 million has been paid by the BSP Life as customer benefits which was processed over 123,000 transactions throughout 2024, which is the highest ...
9 hours ago

We should not fear making changes to the Constitution - Leung
We should not fear discussing or making changes to the constitution. This has been highlighted by Attorney General Graham Leung while responding ...
9 hours ago

Women must step up, mentor, and advocate for each other - Naisara
Women often tend to be humble about their achievements without realizing the impact their stories can have on others. These were the words of the ...
9 hours ago



fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan
Latest Videos

Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations

CFL radio frequencies
yb
IN DEPTH
Reverend Tugi on fijivillage Straight Talk With Vijay Narayan
Watch the General Secretary of Fiji Evangelical Fellowship, Reverend Simione Tugi on fijivillage Straight Talk With Vijay ...
6 days ago

fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan and William Parkinson
Chairman of Communications Fiji Limited, parent company of FM96, LegendFM, VitiFM, Navtarang, Radio Sargam, fijivillage and PNGFM, William Parkinson ...
6 days ago

fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan and Adi Tulia Nacola
The candid interview focuses on Nacola, coming from a chiefly family and being a daughter of a Minister who was ousted in the 1987 military coup, her ...
7 days ago

TOP