ATTORNEY-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum raised concerns to the Parliamentary Privileges Committee about the video of the alleged assault of suspended Opposition MP Pio Tikoduadua by Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama that was being circulated on social media.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum was previously a member of the committee before he recused himself on September 3.
According to the verbatim record, during the meeting of the committee on September 2 to deliberate on the matters of privilege against Mr Bainimarama and Mr Tikoduadua, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum told the committee that they needed to see the official Parliamentary CCTV footage, and not the footage that was on social media because that footage might have been doctored.
“We have seen, I think, we would not be living in the city if no one has not seen it because obviously there is quite a lot of things floating around on social media,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum told the committee a day before he recused himself.
“But, as to establish any prima facie evidence, we cannot take any footage as evidence unless it is from the official CCTV footage, because as you know in this day and age with the use of technology, people that put up posts on social media or on phones or people that take footage on phones can be doctored.
“I mean, we have already seen it being doctored, so we cannot and I think, Madam Deputy Speaker, please, I think the committee needs to rely on credible evidence.
“Like I said, with the quasi-judicial powers we have, so we need to ensure that we also conduct ourselves in that fashion and not rely on hearsay and also not rely on evidence that is actually questionable.”
He told the committee that they needed to have the CCTV footage handy because if witnesses who would appear before them made claims, they could check against the actual footage.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum also suggested to the chairperson of the committee and Deputy Speaker Veena Bhatnagar that she needed to have consultation with the Solicitor-General.
“Also, Madam Deputy Speaker, we would like to suggest that perhaps you have legal advice for your independence from the Solicitor-General’s Office, as Mr Speaker, Sir, himself does so — get advice.”