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Video / George Heard / NZHerald
By Eleisha Foon of RNZ
A blog site, known for breaking news about political corruption, governance and human rights issues in Fiji, has released explosive allegations of extramarital affairs between two Cabinet ministers - one of them dismissed for an unrelated issue on Friday - while on officialbusiness in Australia.
The issue has divided Fijian public opinion online - with some calling for accountability and an explanation from their elected officials, while others say it is a targeted campaign to defame the character of the ministers involved.
Lynda Tabuya and Aseri Radrodro at the Victoria Parliament in Melbourne. Photo / Victoria Parliament
FijiLeaks - a website with a reputation to feature high-profile leaks and controversial stories involving Fiji’s political and business elites - told RNZ Pacific it received explicit details of an intimate night in Melbourne between Fiji’s women’s minister Lynda Tabuya and education minister Aseri Radrodro, when they were part of a parliamentary delegation to Victoria.
According to FijiLeaks, the rendezvous took place during a three-day ministerial trip in Melbourne] organised by the Victorian Parliament for “whipping up stronger” Fiji-Australia ties, which New Zealand Whips also attended.
Screenshots of communications and images allegedly shared between the two Government MPs are now circulating on the internet - on social media platforms like Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
Screenshots of communications and images allegedly shared between the two Government MPs. Photo / FijiLeaks
The leaked images show one minister allegedly admitting to “getting drunk and high” on marijuana and sharing lewd images.
RNZ Pacific has made attempts to verify the veracity of the images and messages, including contacting the blog’s editor Victor Lal, a veteran Fijian journalist who now resides in London and is based at Oxford University.
While Lal has refused to share the original copies of the messages and images to protect his sources, he has provided screenshots. He said he stood by his sources - who are in Fiji - and said they were “impeccable”.
Lal said “Lynda [Tabuya] and Aseri [Radrodro] were both equally at fault” for their actions and is calling for both the ministers to step down from their ministerial roles for “abusing their position”.
“They should be equally and harshly dealt with by [Prime Minister Sitiveni] Rabuka… because it takes two to tango,” he said.
He is also calling on the authorities to investigate how the ministers were able to have access to marijuana while on official duties.
