The Fiji Independent Commission against Corruption today fronted the Public Accounts Committee to respond to recommendations made by the committee to improve its oversight.

Manager Investigations Niko Bukarau explained that the three recommendations by the committee are well within the limits of FICAC to undertake.

Recommendation 2 by PAC was the need for a formal agreement between FICAC and the Auditor General’s office to ensure cases of fraud was followed up as and when it happens as opposed to surfacing years later before the parliamentary committee responsible.

In response Bukarau told the committee that work had began on an MOU in 2010 and had yet to be finalized with today’s hearing the first time for all parties to be in the same room.

Recommendation 3 by PAC issued that FICAC initiate a system to prioritize issues raised by the AG particularly at the conclusion of the consolidated report covering 2007, 2008 and 2009.

This recommendation Bukarau says has been taken on-board with all AG suspected fraud cases to be priority one for FICAC.

Recommendation 1 calls on FICAC to provide a comprehensive report to PAC to be tabled in Parliament on what actions are taken specifically on cases raise in the consolidated report from 2007 to 2009.

FIFAC investigators confirmed that there 6 previous cases of corruption, 1 of which is before the courts, 4 of which was dismissed because of insufficient evidence and 1, the suspect alleged to have committed fraud while working at the Agro Marketing Authority, a John Law had left for overseas and has yet to return to the country.

FICAC also noted that there are 3 cases currently active in investigations and through the court.