Qiliho’s position as Police Commissioner will cease once his conviction is recorded – PM

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has revealed that when the conviction of the current suspended Police Commissioner Brigadier General Sitiveni Qiliho has been recorded, he will be ceased from his position as the Police Commissioner.

Rabuka says Qiliho’s pay will also be ceased after his conviction.

He says once everything has been recorded, they will advertise for the position of a new Commissioner of Police.

Qiliho has been found guilty by Acting Chief Justice Salesi Temo and will be sentenced by Magistrate Seini Puamau on the 28th of March.

The matter will be called on Monday for entering of his conviction, and the sentencing and mitigation submissions will be made next Wednesday.

Qiliho has been found guilty of one count of abuse of office.

The charges against Qiliho say that on the 15th of July, 2020 as the Police Commissioner directed the Director of the Criminal Investigations Department, Serupepeli Neiko and Inspector Reshmi Dass to stop investigations into the police complaint by the USP, in the abuse of the authority of his office, which was an arbitrary act prejudicial to the rights of USP.