14 Jan 2016

Fiji gets Russian military equipment

4:53 pm on 14 January 2016

The Fiji opposition says unauthorised military equipment from Russia has been sent to Suva harbour and will be transported directly to the local barracks.

Ratu Isoa Tikoca

Ratu Isoa Tikoca Photo: Fiji Parliament

Its spokesperson on foreign affairs, Ratu Isoa Tikoca, says the police have been barred from offloading the containers by the private security firm, Home Link Security Services Limited.

He says the security firm is owned by members of the military, and is usurping the power of the police.

Ratu Isoa says the goods include 20 containers of arms, trucks and a helicopter.

He says the transaction is illegal as it did not go through parliament for approval.

But the acting police commissioner Brigadier General Sitiveni Qiliho says he is well aware of the arrival of the containers, and there is nothing illegal about it.