Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has challenged anyone making allegations against a senior Cabinet minister at the centre of an explicit video controversy to come forward with evidence and testify, saying the minister must be given a fair opportunity to defend himself.
The controversy erupted after a one-minute explicit video reportedly appeared on the minister’s Facebook Story on Friday night, on the eve of Fiji Day, before being removed around 28 minutes later.
The minister has yet to publicly address the incident or clarify whether his account was compromised or the video was posted accidentally.
According to local media reports, the incident has dominated discussion on Fijian social media, raising questions about the circumstances surrounding the video and whether the Online Safety Commission has been formally notified.
Speaking about the controversy, Mr Rabuka said he had been asked about the video but had not seen it and had not been informed about who appeared in it, where it was recorded or the circumstances surrounding its publication.
Mr Rabuka was quoted as saying by the Fiji Sun,
“I want someone ready to testify against my minister so I can allow him to defend himself”
He also urged anyone with allegations to report them to him and the Online Safety Commissioner, saying the claims should be supported by credible evidence and handled through the appropriate processes.
Mr Rabuka stressed that the minister should have an opportunity to respond in accordance with the principles of natural justice before any action was considered.
The response has prompted questions about whether the government will apply the same standards of accountability to male and female ministers.
In a letter sent to the Prime Minister’s office, a writer challenged Mr Rabuka to demonstrate consistency in his handling of the latest controversy, drawing comparisons with an earlier incident involving a female Cabinet minister.
“Will the same standard, and the same urgency, apply to a male Minister?” the letter asked.
The writer argued that accountability should not depend on a minister’s gender, while also distinguishing between the circumstances of the two incidents.
The female minister’s intimate recording was circulated online in December 2024 and was reportedly intended for her husband. She was subsequently suspended and removed from Cabinet before returning to government in a different portfolio.
The letter questioned whether the same urgency would be applied in the latest case, noting that the video reportedly appeared on the male minister’s own social media account, although the circumstances surrounding its publication remain unclear.
“Fairness and consistency are what our people deserve,” the writer said.
The latest controversy marks the second time an intimate recording involving a member of Mr Rabuka’s Cabinet has become a major public issue during his administration.
Meanwhile, Fiji’s Online Safety Commission has issued a warning to social media users against posting, forwarding, reposting or distributing another person’s intimate images or videos without their consent.
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