Press Release
FICAC Signs Memorandum of Understanding with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions VanuatuFICAC Signs Memorandum of Understanding with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions Vanuatu
Posted by Media Team 30 May 2024
The Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Office of the Public Prosecutor (OPP) of Vanuatu this morning (Thursday, 30 May 2024) at the Pearl Resort in front of dignitaries attending the Conference on Harnessing New & Innovative Technology for Tackling Corruption in the Pacific facilitated by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Pacific Office and funded through the UK government.
The Memorandum of Understanding expresses the understanding and common interests between FICAC and OPP in collaboration and to share knowledge, skills and information that will strengthen the institution in its fight against corruption.
Speaking at the signing this morning, Acting Deputy Commissioner Ms Francis Puleiwai stated that the Memorandum of Understanding came about after the Regional Conference that FICAC had hosted with UNDP through the UK Government in 2023. Few of the Offices came forward and showed interest with FICAC to engage in a peer-to-peer learning which was a success namely the Solomon Islands Independent Commission Against Corruption (SIICAC), the Office of the Director of the Public Prosecutions Vanuatu and most recently the Samoan Public Service Commission. The result of the peer-to-peer learning was discussion of having an MOU signed which will be of benefit to both institutions.
Ms Puleiwai stated that the MOU is a way forward for the two organisations to work together and that FICAC is willing to assist other counterparts in terms of providing capacity building through the UNDP.
Ms Puleiwai acknowledged UNDP Pacific Office for their assistance in having the MOU signed which was in effect fulfilling our commitment at the international and regional level including the Teieniwa Pacific Unity against Corruption Vision.
Ms Puleiwai gave her gratitude to the Government of Vanuatu and the Office of the Public Prosecutor, the Public Prosecutor Mr Josaia Naguilevu in supporting and allowing the MOU to be signed this morning.
The Public Prosecutor of OPP Vanuatu, Mr Naguilevu stated that the Memorandum of Understanding was an ideal platform where two organisations could collaborate and with Vanuatu’s anti-corruption unit being fairly new, he anticipates that once the unit is formalised, it will have the necessary experience with it.
Echoing the sentiments of the Acting Deputy Commissioner Ms Puleiwai, Naguilevu stated that there are opportunities for wider collaboration and hopefully there would be an association of anti-corruption authorities within the Pacific.
The Memorandum of Understanding with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions Vanuatu is the first of its kind for the Pacific Region and FICAC is in the process of finalising a Memorandum of Understanding with the Solomon Islands Independent Commission Against Corruption (SIICAC).
