Fiji: Police boss brings ‘new eyes’

A former high ranking officer with South Africa’s defence and security forces has arrived in Fiji to take up his post as the country’s new police commissioner.

Bernadus Groenewald retired in 2010 at the rank of major-general and was also the commanding officer of the South African police academy.

After Australian Andrew Hughes held the post before the 2006 coup, the force has largely been under the command of a military officer.

RNZI’S correspondent in Suva, Ricardo Morris, says few details of the new chief have been released so far.

“He was responsible for the security and safety of former presidents of South Africa and he has also spent some time overseeing details of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.”

Morris says there have been several reshuffles recently in the Fiji police force – the acting police commissioner fired one of his senior officers a few weeks ago and there have been some reports of insubordination that have really put a strain on its leadership.

It is hoped the new appointment will bring some stability with the fact that Groenewald is a foreigner who will “maybe bring in a new pair of eyes”.

“There has been some instances of claims of police brutality and the acting commissioner Ravi Narayan has been quite good at highlighting these issues and trying to get the police force in order so I think he has done a good job and the government has recognised that as well,” Morris reports.

RNZI: The Government has been under fire, regime leader Rear Admiral Frank Bainimarama himself, a police complaint brought against him, what is the likelihood that these sort of complaints are going to receive any attention under this new commissioner?

“The last we have heard was that the police confirmed that they had received a complaint against Bainimarama but that is as far as we know.

“There has been nothing else, nothing official, nothing further to indicate that the police have actually been investigating the complaints and the allegations any further.

“I don’t think that such a complaint would get – well, I am not sure – but Mr Groenewald has just come in.

“I doubt it, that he will handle such a political hot potato as a complaint against Mr Bainimarama, so I think that is where it will stand for the moment.