Fiji Police Launch CID Investigation into $150,000 Corruption Allegations and Seizure of Journalist Equipment

Fiji's CID investigates claims that officers shared $150k from a drug raid. Police deny media suppression after seizing a journalist's phone for evidence.

By: AXL Media

Published: May 1, 2026, 3:46 PM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The Fiji Times

A Major Corruption Inquiry Within the Task Force

The Fiji Police Force has officially mobilized the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to scrutinize explosive claims involving the alleged theft of seized assets by law enforcement officers. According to a formal statement released by the police, the investigation centers on accusations that members of a specialized task force divided $150,000 among themselves following a narcotics operation. The scale of the alleged misappropriation has triggered a high level response from the CID, as the force attempts to address growing public concern regarding the integrity of its drug enforcement units.

The Social Media Catalyst and iTaukei Allegations

The genesis of this investigation traces back to a digital trail on social media, specifically a post authored in the iTaukei language on Facebook. The individual behind the post claimed to have received firsthand information from a police officer regarding the illicit distribution of the $150,000. Although the post has since been deleted and the author has issued a public apology, the Fiji Police Force maintained that the nature of the claims was too severe to ignore. Authorities confirmed that the legal threshold for a criminal inquiry had been met, regardless of the subsequent removal of the original digital evidence.

The Detention and Interview of Meri Radinibaravi

In a move that has drawn international scrutiny, CID officers interviewed Meri Radinibaravi, a journalist affiliated with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), on April 30. The interview was conducted as part of the broader effort to verify the corruption claims she had referenced in her reporting. During this process, investigators secured Radinibaravi’s mobile phone. While the police describe the handover as a voluntary act to assist in a criminal inquiry, the seizure of a working journalist’s primary tool has sparked a debate over the protection of confidential sources and the boundaries of police interference in media activities.