The women who have come forward with allegations of sexual harassment against Fiji First parliamentarian Ashneel Sudhakar have not lodged any reports with Police.
When asked if Police would wait for the complaints or act proactively, Police Spokesperson Ana Naisoro says if they wish to file a report they can do so and Police will investigate however they also cannot force the women if they do not wish to.
Opposition Leader Sitiveni Rabuka says allegations of sexual harassment and corruption in the Lands Ministry must be immediately reported to Police for an independent investigation by the criminal justice system.
Rabuka says he is very much concerned that the Attorney General and General Secretary Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum will be investigating these allegations of sexual harassment and corruption as an internal party matter.
He said serious allegations about a senior Cabinet Minister must not be swept under the carpet.
FijiFirst General Secretary Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says they don’t believe that matters of sexual harassment should be treated lightly or swept under the carpet and in particular when you do get a formal complaint that has been lodged.
Responding to a question about whether the government would be referring allegations of sexual harassment against Ashneel Sudhakar to Police, Sayed-Khaiyum says those matters depend on the individual complainants.
Sudhakar has been terminated from his position as the Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources following the allegations of sexual harassment and his refusal to resign as a Member of Parliament.
He remains as a Member of Parliament and the FijiFirst will now start the disciplinary hearing process regarding the sexual harassment allegations.
When asked about how soon they expect the disciplinary process to end, Sayed-Khaiyum says they have to put all the documents together and obliviously they don't like these things hanging over their heads so the sooner the better.
