18 Oct 2016

Former Fiji MP says arrests prompted by 'orders from on high'

8:45 am on 18 October 2016

A former Fiji member of parliament arrested and detained last month for attending a meeting says he's convinced the orders came from the country's rulers.

Police arrested six prominent people - two former prime ministers, a current MP, a trade union boss, the organiser of the meeting as well as former MP Tupeni Baba.

He said the police were initially unsure of what they were interrogating the men about, and when asked, they said their instructions came from the "very top".

The Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama strongly defended the police actions, but the DPP now says police were too slow to take action and were too selective in who they arrested.

A group of people wait to hear about the detainees yesterday, as Attar Singh's lawyer Raman Singh ( white shirt )  receives a call.

Groups of people waited outside the station where the men were detained Photo: RNZI / Alex Perrottet

Tupeni Baba said it was clear who was behind it.

"They indicated to us that they had orders from on high," he said.

"They couldn't say, but they pointed above.

"And that was the same thing they said to us the whole two days we were there. Who will decide, and they pointed above. You know what I mean."

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