SYDNEY – The former head of Fiji’s police force said military interference in efforts to prosecute those involved in vicious assaults, played a big part in his decision to walk away.

Ben Groenewald left 18 months into his two year contract by “mutual consent” with the government, after he threatened to resign.

He has been replaced for at least the next three months by the former land forces commander of the military, General Sitiveni Qiliho.

In a statement Groenewald – who’s now back in his homeland South Africa – said internal resistance to change and a lack of political support to address critical shortage of resources also hindered his ability to do his job.

He said the way the military obstructed the course of justice in the brutal assault of Iowane Benedito, which was captured on video nearly three years ago, played a prominent role in his decision.

Groenewald said other high profile cases such as the Vilikesa Soko murder in August 2014 and the illegal arrest of Joseva Bilitaki a month later indicated military officers were the main perpetrators.

He said Pita Matairavula, a previous body guard of the Prime Minister, was involved in all three cases but attempts to arrest him were thwarted by the military, before they finally handed him over earlier this month.

The then land force commander, Colonel Sitiveni Qiliho, who’s since been appointed Acting Police Commissioner, has denied that he was aware of the incident.

Groenewald however said Qiliho didn’t return his calls when he contacted him with concerns that Pita Matairavula was being harboured in the Suva Military camp.

In an interview with the ABC Groenewald pulls no punches when he discusses how the military interfered with his police work on more than one occasion.

“I was enlisted on May 14, 2014, and the contract was for two years. Since the acceptance of this post I have had a few issues in terms of organisational and external issues that were not acceptable to me.

Groenewald said he had many difficulties in Fiji.

“The ongoing interference by the military in peacetime operations was just too much for me.

“One specific incident was the murder of Vilikesa Soko in August last year who was brutally assaulted by a team of police and military officers – he sustained serious injuries and unfortunately he died.”

This case led to seven police officer and one military officer being charged with murder and other offences.

This was followed up by an incident where there was an exchange of text messages the Prime Minister and a Fijian songwriter about his songs being used without permission during the election campaign.

That led to Josefa Bilitaki being arrested illegally and allegedly beaten.

“When I heard about it I released him immediately and made a public announcement that I would not tolerate any military interference in peace time policing.

He said his resignation was also “indirectly” related to another high-profile case of alleged police brutality which went viral on YouTube in 2013 apparently showing Fijian officials in 2012 beating two prison escapees with wooden and metal poles.

Groenewald, who inherited the case, and pushed for those involved to be finally prosecuted, said the case had been “conveniently filed away” by the original police investigation team.

At his insistence – amidst persistent international outrage that no one had been held accountable – Groenewald reopened the inquiry.

“In discussions with the department of public prosecutions, we reopened the case and that led to a final decision by the Director Of Public Prosecutions to charge five people with sexual assault.”

The Fiji military then recruited the three police officers involved and gave them jobs in the army.

The then commander of the military, General Qiliho, who is now the acting police commissioner, made a statement saying his men would not be “abandoned” and the men were given military legal representation.

Groenewald has explained why the DPP charged the officers with sexual assault: “Offences committed by military or police between 2006 and the first seat of parliament last year can qualify for immunity.

“Some offences are within the remit of immunity – but any sexual offence is outside of that immunity.

“That is the reason why the DPP has decided to charge these people for sexual assault and not for assault or manslaughter.”

While Fiji has been scrutinised in the past over its human rights record, Groenewald said he was still optimistic the country’s police force was “capable of changing its image”.

- PNC