Grace Road on the radar – Probe into church and its dealings with FijiFirst

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Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka speaks during the opening of the new Dilkusha High School block in Nausori yesterday.Picture:ATU RASEA

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has revealed there is a probe into the Grace Road Church in Fiji and all its dealings with the FijiFirst government.

Speaking to The Fiji Times this week, he said the investigation into the religious organisation would also encompass discussions with the Korean government.

Mr Rabuka was responding to allegations by investigative journalists in the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and the Korea Center for Investigative Journalism (KCIJ-Newstapa) that the church received more than $8.5 million in loans from the Fiji Development Bank– as reported by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation last year.

“I know there are some issues against Grace Road and they are outstanding,” the PM said.

“The Lands Minister, Filimoni Vosarogo, will be in my office to brief me about some outstanding applications from Grace Road for some of their developments. In this meeting, I will be briefed about what has transpired, what has been approved and what was approved in the past. I’ve directed my staff at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to find out if Grace Road Church is an organisation of good standing in the eyes of the Korean Government. We cannot be poorly briefed about what other foreign nationals do in our country and we have to be sure that they have support and the blessings of their home countries.”

Mr Rabuka said the appropriate action would be taken after they established the nature of the church’s dealings with the previous government. “I need to find out if they have done anything that was not compliant with good international bilateral relationships.”

According to the UN Special Rapporteur, in 2020 they received information about the situation of Grace Road Group in Fiji employees, who were allegedly subjected to abusive and exploitative labour conditions, which could amount to forced labour.

Other human rights abuses reported referred to child labour, restricted freedom of movement, obstructed access to healthcare and education, as well as physical and psychological abuse.

Grace Road owns restaurants, beauty salons, dental clinics, a nursery, a construction business and a farm in Navua.

Questions sent to Grace Road in relation to the comments made by the PM remained unanswered when this edition went to press.

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