One of Fiji Labour Party's pioneer members now supporting the National Federation Party claims the latter are victims of a witch-hunt by the Registrar of Political Parties.

A veteran politician now supporting the National Federation Party claims the latter are victims of a witch-hunt by the Registrar of Political Parties.

The Registrar has identified significant errors in the audited report and annual financial statement of the National Federation Party.

While the possible suspension is on the cards for the National Federation Party, veteran politician Krishna Dutt believes the accounts can be rectified.

“The problems are with accounting and these are people who keep accounts and that can be remedied if there are errors in that it will be remedied. I think NFP has been working in compliance with every request that the elections office has made.”

While the Registrar of Political Parties has also revealed that funds from the party’s relief and welfare account were used for other purposes, Dutt believes otherwise.

“Just imagine, here is a member of parliament contributing his salary, his allowances to a party relief fund. Relief fund because they say you can’t contribute to political purposes beyond the $10,000 limit or whatever and now they are hounding why is this extra or less or whatever. It is a separate fund within the political party structure for relief and social welfare and if you run a political party before as I have political party offices get several requests from passerby’s. People who come there, seeking assistance, relief and it becomes inevitable so the party does to create a little fund of some sort.”

Party President Pio Tikoduadua says they are looking into the issue.

“We will work with the registrar and his team and our new auditors Naiveli and company to answer his questions and if our accounts have to be corrected we will correct them.”

Registrar Mohammed Saneem last Friday revealed discrepancies still exist in numerous NFP bank accounts and annual financial records after a verification process.

They have been given 21 days to rectify these discrepancies.

Saneem is expected to meet with NFP’s new auditors on Wednesday.