'Military coup' to derail Fijian campaign?
Fiji's military regime on Tuesday demanded that Rugby Union chiefs in the Pacific nation quit en masse if the sport wanted government funding for this year's World Cup in New Zealand.
Sports Minister Filipe Bole said he was concerned at official findings the Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) mismanaged a fundraising lottery and would withhold F$3-million (US$1.6 million) in grants until those responsible departed.
"The provision of funding is conditional upon the change of FRU administration and the formation of a new FRU board," Bole said in a statement.
He said the FRU needed to implement change at the top to ensure the national team received adequate resources to prepare for the World Cup.
"Of course those at the centre of this debacle and mismanagement can resign themselves to quickly put in place a new administration to ensure our boys have enough time to prepare," he said.
Bole said the government, which seized power in a bloodless 2006 coup, had informed the International Rugby Board of its stance.
"I have informed the IRB and now I'm informing the public that the Fijian Government will give F$$3-million to assist the Fijian team to prepare for the World Cup but under a new FRU administration," Bole said.
"Accordingly, it is now up to districts, who appoint the administration team, to ensure that our... team gets adequate resources to prepare for the World Cup competition in which we expect and want them to do well," Bole added.
The row centres on a lottery the FRU drew in late December, which Fiji's Commerce Commission found had been improperly run.
The consumer watchdog found more than F$155,000 of the F$350,000 raised through the lottery was missing and funds had been used for improper purposes, including sending an FRU official to the Hong Kong Sevens in March last year.
In a report released Tuesday, it recommended criminal prosecutions against those responsible for misusing the money, a re-draw of the lottery and said it would seek to impose fines totalling F$125,000 in the FRU.
The FRU could not be contacted for comment.
However, in a statement released Saturday it denied any wrongdoing and accused the Commerce Commission of acting "unlawfully and with little regard to anything except self-promotion".
"The most disturbing aspect of this whole saga is the Commission's unending appetite for publicity," FRU Chief Executive officer Keni Dakuidreketi said in a statement.
"It has a legal responsibility to investigate any alleged offence in a fair and reasonable way, particularly when it is on notice that it may not even have legal powers to do so.
"It should not be conducting a trial by media.
"[The] FRU suggests the Commission do the sensible thing and have an open discussion with FRU - and its lawyers - about what it is doing."
Fiji opens its World Cup campaign against Namibia in Rotorua on September 10
Fiji's military strongman, leader Voreqe Bainimarama, is a keen rugby fan and delayed staging his 2006 coup until after the annual rugby match between teams representing the police and army.
He has since failed to honour commitments to hold democratic elections, resulting in Fiji's expulsion from the Commonwealth of mostly former British colonies and the Pacific Islands Forum.
rugby365.com and AFP