Pryde reinstated as DPP

Suspended Director of Public Prosecutions, Christopher Pryde has been reinstated to his position after a tribunal investigating the allegations against him unanimously concluded that the two allegations were not substantiated and advised that the President should not remove him from office.

President Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu has written to Pryde today along with a copy of the report of the Tribunal.

They say Pryde’s unpaid salary and benefits shall be repaid immediately and Pryde is to report to the Chairperson of the Judicial Services Commission, whose officers will hand him all official properties, laptop, mobile phones, keys and accompany him to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

A three-member Tribunal was appointed under section 112 of the Constitution of the Republic of Fiji to inquire into allegations of misbehaviour against Pryde.

Justice Anare Tuilevuka chaired the Tribunal while the other two members are Justice Chaitanya Lakshman and Justice Samuela Qica.

The members of the Tribunal submitted their report to the President on the 23rd of last month.

A government statement says the President has completed his perusal of the report after which he conducted necessary consultations and received advice on the report and its recommendations.

The President commended the Tribunal chairman and members for their report and excellent service to the nation.

They say their final report contributes important jurisprudence for the first time, on the definition of “misbehaviour” which is not defined in the Constitution.

According to the statement, this valuable jurisprudence therefore sets a precedent and will assist the Judicial Services Commission in considering complaints against judicial officers as well as the DPP and other quasi-judicial officers appointed by the Commission.

It says the Tribunal also made recommendations on the importance of guiding policies in the absence of regulations regarding the evaluation of complaints against judicial and quasi-judicial officers. The report states that policies would provide a framework for executive action and ensure that decisions are consistent, transparent and accountable. Further, that the Commission may consider developing a clear policy pursuant to section 138(2)-(9) of the Constitution of the Republic of Fiji.

Director of Public Prosecutions, Christopher Pryde confirms he has advised the Official Secretary to the President that he will formally resume his duties as DPP next Monday.

Pryde confirmed this when fijivillage News asked him when he will return to the office after the independent tribunal's decision.

Pryde has been reinstated to his position after the tribunal investigating the allegations against him unanimously concluded that the two allegations were not substantiated and advised that the President should not remove him from office.

The haste with which the Acting Director of Public Prosecutions, Nancy Tikoisuva has reviewed my personal file and laid a complaint with FICAC days before I resume my duties as the DPP leaves me suspicious as to her true motives and leads me to wonder what may have been going on in my absence that she is anxious for me not to discover.

Those are the comments of DPP, Christopher Pryde as he has confirmed he has advised Tikoisuva that he intends to discuss her actions with her when he resumes duties at his office on Monday morning.

He says he was notified by Tikoisuva that she has laid a criminal complaint against him with FICAC on behalf of the ODPP alleging a multitude of inconsistencies concerning various payments made to him under his contract.

Pryde says Tikoisuva has advised him that the senior management at the ODPP reviewed his personal file after it was returned to the ODPP at the conclusion of the Tribunal hearing that exonerated him, and recommended it be forwarded to FICAC.

The DPP says he is not aware of the specific allegations but he denies completely any wrongdoing.

Pryde says the Chief Registrar's Office had his personal file for the past 21 months and used the material to make out two allegations that were put before the Tribunal which found they were not made out.

He says Tikoisuva and the senior managers took 2 days to conclude that the Chief Registrar's Office had missed multiple inconsistencies that were so egregious that they needed to be immediately sent to FICAC.

He asks what has she found that the Chief Registrar could not. Pryde says his contract and payments made to him under his contract have been audited twice a year every year by both the Auditor General and the auditors from the Ministry of Finance.

He says they have never raised any issues or concerns with the payments.

The Senior Management at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions has lodged a complaint against Pryde with FICAC.

Acting DPP, Nancy Tikoisuva says following the review of Pryde’s personal file, several inconsistencies came to light and as part of the ODPP Whistle Blowing Policy, a complaint was lodged with the FICAC.

The complaint stems from the allegations of abuse of office resulting from payment of gratuity without the President’s approval from 2013-2018 were referred to FICAC.

The Office of the DPP says other allegations include obtaining gratuity in 2023 in excess of Pryde’s entitlement, payment of life insurance instead of superannuation and payment of airfares for family travels outside of the contractual terms.

Tikoisuva says these are few of the many allegations that has been put to FICAC after a review of the accounts file after it was returned to their office on 9th January.

She says the FICAC team has also executed a search warrant at the Office of the DPP as the investigation continues and the ODPP will cooperate with the investigation.

On 7th January 2025, the Office of the President sent a letter and the Tribunal Report to the Acting DPP, regarding the findings and the decision to reinstate Pryde. Tikoisuva says to comply with the tribunal’s findings and the directives, Tikoisuva requested Pryde’s personal files from the Office of the Chief Registrar which was taken as part of the Tribunal investigation.

On 9th January 2025, the files were returned to the ODPP, following which a meeting to review Pryde’s file was held by the Senior Management team which included the Acting DPP, the Deputy DPP and the three Assistant DPPs.

Director of Public Prosecutions, Christopher Pryde has revealed that Acting DPP, Nancy Tikoisuva has specifically requested Chief Justice Salesi Temo to suspend Pryde and set up another Tribunal to hear the fresh allegations she has made against Pryde.

Based on this, Pryde has informed the President that he intends to return and resume his duties after he has dealt with these latest allegations on Monday 3rd February 2025.

Pryde says he apologises to the President, the Prime Minister, the Fijian people, and the staff of the ODPP for the delay in his return to work but clearly impediments are being placed in his way over which he has no control and which require his full attention.

The DPP says late on Friday 17th January 2025 he received a letter from Chief Justice Temo requesting him to respond to a further series of allegations of misbehaviour allegedly committed by him as DPP.

He says these allegations have been made by Nancy Tikoisuva after she says she reviewed Pryde’s personal file when it had been returned to the ODPP after the conclusion of the Tribunal hearing.

Pryde says he rejects these new allegations completely and questions both the timing and why they were not raised in the past 21 months.

He says the allegations are numerous and detailed and will require time and his full attention for him to address them and provide the various original documents which he will need to locate in order to refute them.

The DPP says he is convinced that any investigation will again clear him of wrongdoing.

He adds the seriousness of the allegations and the potential for yet another Tribunal to be established to investigate these claims means that he will need to expend considerable effort over the next two weeks in order to provide the necessary responses and documentation to the Chief Justice within the 14 days timeframe.

He says this is why it is necessary for him to fully address the complaints and try to prevent another Tribunal from being established and potentially another 21-month wait for a conclusion.

We are currently trying to speak to the ODPP.