Two senior FRCA managers sacked

Two senior managers of Fiji Revenue and Customs Authority have been sacked by the Chief Executive Officer, Jitoko Tikolevu.

FRCA General Manager for Customs, Tevita Tupou’s contract has been terminated for breaching the standards of conduct by failing to cooperate and interfering with an internal investigation.

FRCA Manager for Border Control, Josefa Marawa has been sacked for misconduct, which has also been referred to FICAC for criminal investigations. 

Tupou ordered subordinates not to cooperate with FRCA’s internal investigations pertaining to allegations of corruption.

In an email to FRCA staff, Tupou ordered them not to cooperate with investigators, and threatened them with punishment if they disobeyed. 

In Tupou’s email to FRCA officers, disclosed on Sunday by Attorney General and Minister for Finance Aiyaz Sayed‑Khaiyum, Tupou told FRCA staff that no customs staff is to allow any Ethical Standards Unit staff into the customs area or disclose any information to them.

FRCA Chairman, Ajith Kodagoda says the threats made by Tupou should be disregarded and all FRCA staff must render their complete cooperation to investigators.

Kodagoda says in coordination with FICAC, they are pursuing leads to identify businesses that may have profited illegally from any corrupt scheme.

Kumar Sami Gounder has been appointed as the Acting General Manager for Customs.

We will have more later today.