Apisai Tora

from Radio Legend - Reliable sources in the Fiji police have confirmed Qarase’s name has come up a number of times in their ongoing probe and he will be interviewed.

Nationalist Apisai Tora, who was Agriculture Minister at the time of the alleged scandal,   is also expected to be interviewed.

The Economic Crime Unit has already arrested and charged a former Suva Lord Mayor and Suncourt Hardware director, Dhansukh Lal Bhika, and three others with conspiracy to commit a felony and defrauding the state of 2-point-2 million US dollars.

The police will also try to establish whether tax dollars were used to buy farming implements for people in return for votes in the 2001 general elections.

The former head of the agriculture ministry, Peniasi Kunatuba, was jailed for four years last November after being convicted of abuse of office in relation to the scam.

It has been alleged the government in power under PM Qarase at the time bought agricultural implements and other items, much of it through Suncourt, and then handed them out in an effort to influence voters in the Sept 2001 election.   It is thought most of the farm implements were bought at inflated prices through Suncourt.

Most records f the transactions were destroyed in a fire that ravages the Suncourt offices when the initial investigation of the matter began.