Fiji’s anti-corruption body, FICAC, today called for the establishment of a Whistleblower Protection Act.
FICAC proposed the establishment of a Whistleblower Protection Act to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence during deliberations today on their 2018 to 2022 annual reports, highlighting the need to protect informants, including civil servants, from retaliation.
“We propose a whistleblower policy, or Whistleblower Act, to provide greater protection for complainants and informers,” FICAC’s Manager Legal Laite Bokini told the committee when asked about legislative, or policy recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of their work.
FICAC Commissioner Barbara Malimali spoke at length about how the absence of such a framework has hindered anti-corruption efforts. She pointed out that many individuals, including government officers, often withhold crucial information out of fear of job loss and potential retaliation from their superiors. This reluctance poses significant challenges for FICAC in conducting effective investigations. There have been instances where investigation teams had to rely on search warrants to obtain necessary information.
“The challenges we have are that people are afraid to come forward, and you know, especially government employees that they might lose their job or something like that. So for us, we want people who lodge the complaints with FICAC to feel confident that their privacy is protected that they’re safe, that they won’t lose their jobs because they’ve come forward. So we’re hoping that, that’ll form part of the recommendations.
“The protection of civil servants really matters. If they come to us and divulge information, will they lose their job if their permanent secretary or minister finds out? At the end of the day, for them, who is going to feed their children and pay their mortgage? It’s all very well to talk about being ethical, but these individuals also have family obligations—children in school, spouses, and extended family to support.”
FICAC management also urged the committee to consider situations where internal workplace policies prohibit the disclosure of information, particularly in cases involving corruption offences.
“We discussed that today. It’s parliament. It’s the law-making body,” Malimali said. “We made our recommendations, and it’s for them to do what they can.”
Photo: Fiji Parliament
