Fiji's former prime minister Frank Bainimarama is spending the night in police custody after he was arrested and charged with abuse of office.
Key points:
- It is alleged Mr Bainimarama and Brigadier-General Qiliho interfered in an investigation into the University of the South Pacific
- Police have been questioning the men over allegations they directed police to close investigations
- The former prime minister was suspended from Fiji's parliament last month after delivering a divisive speech
Mr Bainimarama and former police commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho are alleged to have interfered in an investigation into a decade of financial mismanagement at the University of the South Pacific (USP).
Fiji police have been questioning Mr Bainimarama and Brigadier-General Qiliho for the past month over allegations they directed police to close investigations into senior officials at the university in 2019.
"The former prime minister … and the suspended police commissioner … are alleged to have arbitrarily and in abuse of the authority of their respective offices, terminated an active police investigation," a statement from the Director of Public Prosecutions Christopher Pryde said.
The statement said further charges may be laid against other suspects "in due course", as police undertake further investigations.
The men will spend the night in custody at the Central Police Station in Suva and will face court on Friday morning.
Allegations of financial mismanagement at USP came to light when in 2019 vice-chancellor Pal Ahluwalia pushed for investigations into cash leakages at the university.
Mr Ahluwalia was deported over his efforts to get police involved and worked in exile, until the newly elected coalition government let him back into the country.
Mr Bainimarama, a former coup leader, ruled over Fiji for 16 years before losing December's national election.
He was suspended from Fiji's parliament last month after delivering a divisive speech where he criticised President Wiliame Katonivere, accused the new government of "setting out to destroy constitutional democracy" and called on the military to act.
He was forced to apologise to the Fijian public as a condition of his suspension from parliament.
Mr Bainimarama on Wednesday announced his resignation from the Pacific nation's parliament "with immediate effect", but vowed to remain in politics.