Minister for Home Affairs Pio Tikoduadua has called on members of the disciplined forces to uphold the rule of law.

Minister for Home Affairs Pio Tikoduadua has called on members of the disciplined forces to uphold the rule of law.

Tikoduadua says he will not tolerate brutality in any force.

The recent allegations of brutality committed against a remand prisoner have prompted the Minister to highlight the government’s zero-tolerance policy on such behaviour.

While the incident occurred in the Fiji Corrections Service, the Minister acknowledges that the Police Force has also been under the spotlight for similar matters and he calls for an end to such actions.

“No room for brutality, no room for such things. I’ve spoken to the Commissioner and to the officers during my tour today about its image, professional police is something that has come under scrutiny on many occasions.”

Tikoduadua admits that rooting out such behaviour will be challenging, but he stresses that it needs to happen.

“It’s going to take time to try and get people up to par, but I think in terms of the rule of law, like I’ve always said, the Fiji Police Force or anyone else for that matter must uphold the law in order to execute the law.”

The Minister’s tour of different divisions aims to make his stance on this issue clear.