[Photo: FILE]

Faith Harvest Church Senior Pastor Reverend Manasa Kolivuso has broken his silence on the controversial 2023 Fiji Airways Israel charter, saying he accepts responsibility for his role while calling for facts to be separated from misinformation as the matter remains before the courts.

In a detailed statement, Kolivuso confirmed he was one of the leaders responsible for the Israel pilgrimage and that he signed the Deed of Forbearance and Guarantee related to the charter agreement.

He says this is public information and something he will not shy away from, adding that a court case is ongoing and must be respected, regardless of the outcome.

Kolivuso explained that his silence over the past two years was deliberate, saying he did not want to inflame public debate or interfere with court proceedings. However, he said persistent personal attacks, allegations and character assassination on social media compelled him to speak publicly.

He outlined how interest in the 2023 pilgrimage grew following an earlier visit to Israel in 2022, leading organisers to pursue a charter flight due to logistical challenges with commercial routes.

Pacific Voyager and WABS Pacific were engaged to arrange the charter with Fiji Airways.

According to Kolivuso, a funding plan was proposed to meet the F$2.5 million charter cost, combining passenger fares, cargo space sales and potential inbound tourism from Israel. However, he says delays in finalising the charter agreement meant the plan could not be activated in time.

The charter agreement was signed just one week before departure, with payment deadlines already lapsed.

Kolivuso says the organisers were left with little choice but to sign the Deed of Forbearance and Guarantee days before departure to avoid cancellation fees of up to F$3 million.

He also addressed the return flight from Israel following the October 7, 2023 attacks, praising the Fiji Government, Fiji Airways, pilots and crew for what he described as a risky but successful effort to bring Fijians home from a war zone.

Kolivuso questioned whether the return flight should be considered a charter or a repatriation flight, citing the inclusion of 13 Fijian students and family members of Fiji Airways staff on the flight manifest.

Following their return, Kolivuso said efforts were made to negotiate a repayment plan with Fiji Airways, but the group later defaulted, resulting in the current court proceedings. He confirmed he personally contributed the majority of the first repayment instalment.

Kolivuso says he has learned hard lessons through the experience and apologised to pilgrims, his church, his vanua, his family and supporters for any distress caused.

He says he will not engage in further media interviews and will respect the court process.

“There is a case still pending, and whatever the outcome, I stand ready to accept it.”

FBC News is currently seeking response from relevant authorities on this issue.

Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.