Jale Baba
Encyclopedia
Jale Baba is a Fiji
an businessman and political organizer. A forestry graduate of the Australian National University
, he worked for Fiji Pine Limited for more than 20 years, before leaving in 1999 to start his own company- Baba Forests. He also serves as the campaign director of the ruling Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua
Party, or SDL). He was General Secretary and more recently National Director of the party, but relinquished this post on 1 January 2006 in order to take charge of the campaign for the general election
to be held from 6-13 May.
In his party role, he worked aggressively to consolidate his party's support among indigenous Fijians
, while attempting with little success to make inroads into the Indo-Fijian electorate. At the previous election
held in 2001, the SDL received barely one percent of the vote in the seven contested communal constituencies
reserved for citizens of India
n descent, a figure that only marginally improved in 2006. He also made a token bid for the Ba
Open Constituency
for the SDL, but garnered only 60 votes. On 15 June 2006, Baba announced his resignation from his party post.
of corruption
. Senator Ponipate Lesavua
alleged that Baba, along with Laisenia Qarase, Jr. (the son of Laisenia Qarase
, Fiji's Prime Minister) and Lalesh Shankar (another SDL official), benefited from a mahogany
harvest at Sote Village in Tailevu
. Baba was subcontracted to Fiji Hardwood and was operating an illegal circular saw, Lesavua maintained, while Qarase Jr. and Shankar owned a company called Trapper Haulage, which had been granted the contract. "This is nepotism in its highest degree," Lesavua said. Another Senator, Ratu Dr. Epeli Nailatikau
, alleged that the Fiji Development Bank had lent Baba F$79,600
for six months, then F$24,000 three months later, to buy the saw. He questioned why Baba should be granted such loans, when the landowners themselves were not.
The next day, Baba angrily denied what he called "cowardly" allegations made under parliamentary privilege
. "It is a cowardly and vilifying attack and if there is any truth to it then the gentlemen should state what they have said, outside of Parliament," Baba told the Fiji Times
. He said that as one of the most qualified foresters in Fiji, he had been invited by the Sote landowners to help them set up their logging company.
Fiji Hardwood chief executive Edrian Hazleman supported Baba, saying that there was no truth to Lesavua's claim that Baba was subcontracted to the company. The Prime Minister, meanwhile, said that his son was not involved with Trapper Haulage, as alleged, having withdrawn on his father's advice from his previous shareholding in the company. The allegations had been fabricated by Opposition parliamentarian
Poseci Bune
, Qarase said.
High Court
found Baba guilty of civil contempt, fined him F$500, and ordered him to pay court costs of F$2,500. According to a Fiji Television
report on 1 March, Connors found Baba guilty of noncompliance with an order made on 15 August 2005, in which he was given three days to deliver machinery to the Merchant Finance and Investment Company Limited, his client and plaintiff. Connors noted that Baba had eventually complied with the order, but only after contempt
proceedings had been initiated, and ruled that a penalty was necessary to deter other members of the community.
coup
that deposed the SDL-led government on 5 December 2006, Baba found himself at the centre of an investigation into alleged shady business dealings and political manoeuvrings. On 26 January 2007 he was taken to Suva
's Queen Elizabeth Barracks
for interrogation about alleged recent comments against the interim government. He was released the next day.
Baba was again detained on 28 January, and under intense grilling by Military officials, admitted to approving the sale a government vehicle belonging to the Lakeba
Pine Scheme, which he managed then. He made the admission in the presence of the buyer of the vehicle and of a Fiji Sun
journalist, the Sun reported on 29 January. In 2000, he approved the sale of the vehicle to Naitasiri
farmer Lemeki Natorogia for F$700. He claimed not to have known at the time that the vehicle was government-owned.
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
an businessman and political organizer. A forestry graduate of the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
, he worked for Fiji Pine Limited for more than 20 years, before leaving in 1999 to start his own company- Baba Forests. He also serves as the campaign director of the ruling Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua
Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua
The Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua is a political party in Fiji...
Party, or SDL). He was General Secretary and more recently National Director of the party, but relinquished this post on 1 January 2006 in order to take charge of the campaign for the general election
Fiji election of 2006
The Constitution of Fiji requires general elections for the House of Representatives to be held at least once every five years. The latest election was held on 6-13 May 2006. Acting President Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi issued a proclamation on 2 March, effective from 27 March, dissolving Parliament...
to be held from 6-13 May.
In his party role, he worked aggressively to consolidate his party's support among indigenous Fijians
Fijian people
Fijian people are the major indigenous people of the Fiji Islands, and live in an area informally called Melanesia. The Fijian people are believed to have arrived in Fiji from western Melanesia approximately 3,500 years ago, though the exact origins of the Fijian people are unknown...
, while attempting with little success to make inroads into the Indo-Fijian electorate. At the previous election
Fiji election of 2001
The Constitution of Fiji was restored by a High Court decision on 15 November 2000, following the failure of the political upheaval in which the government had been deposed and the constitution suspended in May that year. On 1 March 2001, the Appeal Court upheld the decision. An election to...
held in 2001, the SDL received barely one percent of the vote in the seven contested communal constituencies
Communal constituencies (Fiji)
Communal constituencies have been the most durable feature of the Fijian electoral system. In communal constituencies, electors enrolled as ethnic Fijians, Indo-Fijians, Rotuman Islanders, or General Electors vote for a candidate of their own respective ethnic groups, in constituencies that have...
reserved for citizens of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n descent, a figure that only marginally improved in 2006. He also made a token bid for the Ba
Ba (Open Constituency, Fiji)
Ba Open is an electoral division of Fiji, one of 25 open constituencies elected by universal suffrage . Like the other open electorates, it came into being in 1999 and was used for the parliamentary elections of 1999, 2001, and 2006...
Open Constituency
Open constituencies (Fiji)
Open constituencies represent one of several electoral models employed in the past and present in the Fijian electoral system. They derive their name from the fact that they are "open": unlike the communal constituencies, the 25 members of the House of Representatives who represent open...
for the SDL, but garnered only 60 votes. On 15 June 2006, Baba announced his resignation from his party post.
Business controversies
On 16 December 2005, Baba was accused by two SenatorsSenate (Fiji)
The Senate of Fiji is the upper chamber of Parliament. It is the less powerful of the two chambers; it may not initiate legislation, but may amend or veto it. The Senate's powers over financial bills are more restricted: it may veto them in their entirety, but may not amend them...
of corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
. Senator Ponipate Lesavua
Ponipate Lesavua
Ponipate Tawase Lesavua is a Fijian politician, who leads the Party of National Unity, which draws most of its support from Ba Province in the West of the country. The former Police officer, who spent 20 years in the Criminal Investigation Department, is an outspoken politician, who has championed...
alleged that Baba, along with Laisenia Qarase, Jr. (the son of Laisenia Qarase
Laisenia Qarase
Laisenia Qarase is a Fijian political figure. He served as the sixth Prime Minister of Fiji from 2000 to 2006. After the military quashed the coup that led to the removal of Mahendra Chaudhry, Qarase joined the Interim Military Government as a financial adviser on 9 June 2000, until his appointment...
, Fiji's Prime Minister) and Lalesh Shankar (another SDL official), benefited from a mahogany
Mahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
harvest at Sote Village in Tailevu
Tailevu
Tailevu is one of the 14 provinces of Fiji. One of eight Provinces based in Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island, its 755 square kilometers occupy the south-eastern fringe of the island, along with some central areas. At the 2007 census, the most recent to date, it had a population of 55,692, the...
. Baba was subcontracted to Fiji Hardwood and was operating an illegal circular saw, Lesavua maintained, while Qarase Jr. and Shankar owned a company called Trapper Haulage, which had been granted the contract. "This is nepotism in its highest degree," Lesavua said. Another Senator, Ratu Dr. Epeli Nailatikau
Epeli Qaraninamu Nailatikau
Note: This article is about Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, the Fijian medical doctor and former Senator. For the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who has the same name, see here....
, alleged that the Fiji Development Bank had lent Baba F$79,600
Fijian dollar
The dollar has been the currency of Fiji since 1969 and was also the currency between 1867 and 1873. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively FJ$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
for six months, then F$24,000 three months later, to buy the saw. He questioned why Baba should be granted such loans, when the landowners themselves were not.
The next day, Baba angrily denied what he called "cowardly" allegations made under parliamentary privilege
Parliamentary privilege
Parliamentary privilege is a legal immunity enjoyed by members of certain legislatures, in which legislators are granted protection against civil or criminal liability for actions done or statements made related to one's duties as a legislator. It is common in countries whose constitutions are...
. "It is a cowardly and vilifying attack and if there is any truth to it then the gentlemen should state what they have said, outside of Parliament," Baba told the Fiji Times
Fiji Times
The Fiji Times is a daily English-language newspaper published in Suva, Fiji. Established in Levuka on 4 September 1869, it is Fiji's oldest newspaper still operating....
. He said that as one of the most qualified foresters in Fiji, he had been invited by the Sote landowners to help them set up their logging company.
Fiji Hardwood chief executive Edrian Hazleman supported Baba, saying that there was no truth to Lesavua's claim that Baba was subcontracted to the company. The Prime Minister, meanwhile, said that his son was not involved with Trapper Haulage, as alleged, having withdrawn on his father's advice from his previous shareholding in the company. The allegations had been fabricated by Opposition parliamentarian
House of Representatives (Fiji)
The House of Representatives is the lower chamber of Fiji's Parliament. It is the more powerful of the two chambers; it alone has the power to initiate legislation...
Poseci Bune
Poseci Bune
Poseci Waqalevu Bune is a Fijian politician, who has served as Deputy Leader of the Fiji Labour Party . From June to December 2006, he served as Minister for the Environment, one of nine FLP ministers, in the multiparty Cabinet of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase...
, Qarase said.
Civil contempt conviction
On 10 February 2006, Justice John Connors of the LautokaLautoka
Lautoka is the second largest city of Fiji and the second largest in the South Pacific. It is in the west of the island of Viti Levu, 24 kilometres north of Nadi, and is the second port of entry in Fiji, after Suva. Lying in the heart of Fiji's sugar cane growing region, it is known as the Sugar...
High Court
High Court (Fiji)
The High Court of Fiji is one of three courts established by Chapter 9 of the Constitution of Fiji—the others being the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. The Constitution empowers Parliament to create other courts; these are subordinate to the High Court, which is authorized to oversee all...
found Baba guilty of civil contempt, fined him F$500, and ordered him to pay court costs of F$2,500. According to a Fiji Television
Fiji Television
Fiji Television Limited is Fiji's television network. It was founded on 15 June 1994 as the first permanent television broadcasting network in the country, although television had previously been introduced temporarily in October 1991 to broadcast the Rugby World Cup as well as Cricket World Cup....
report on 1 March, Connors found Baba guilty of noncompliance with an order made on 15 August 2005, in which he was given three days to deliver machinery to the Merchant Finance and Investment Company Limited, his client and plaintiff. Connors noted that Baba had eventually complied with the order, but only after contempt
Contempt of court
Contempt of court is a court order which, in the context of a court trial or hearing, declares a person or organization to have disobeyed or been disrespectful of the court's authority...
proceedings had been initiated, and ruled that a penalty was necessary to deter other members of the community.
The 2006 coup d'état
In the wake of the militaryMilitary of Fiji
The Republic of Fiji Military Forces are the military of the Pacific island nation of Fiji. With a total manpower of 3,500 active soldiers and 6,000 reservists, it is one of the smallest militaries in the world. However, most of its surrounding island nations have no militaries at all...
coup
2006 Fijian coup d'état
The Fijian coup d'état of December 2006 occurred as a continuation of the pressure which had been building since the military unrest of the 2000 Fijian coup d'état and 2005-2006 Fijian political crisis....
that deposed the SDL-led government on 5 December 2006, Baba found himself at the centre of an investigation into alleged shady business dealings and political manoeuvrings. On 26 January 2007 he was taken to Suva
Suva
Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
's Queen Elizabeth Barracks
Queen Elizabeth Barracks (Fiji)
Queen Elizabeth Barracks is a Fijian Army base, located in the suburb of Nabua, in Suva. It is the national headquarters of the military.The barracks, commonly known as QEB, was the scene of an unsuccessful army mutiny on 2 November 2000...
for interrogation about alleged recent comments against the interim government. He was released the next day.
Baba was again detained on 28 January, and under intense grilling by Military officials, admitted to approving the sale a government vehicle belonging to the Lakeba
Lakeba
Lakeba is an island in Fiji's Southern Lau Archipelago; the provincial capital of Lau is located here. The island is the tenth largest in Fiji, with a land area of nearly 60 square kilometers. It is fertile and well watered, and encircled by a 29-kilometer road. Its closest neighbors are Aiwa...
Pine Scheme, which he managed then. He made the admission in the presence of the buyer of the vehicle and of a Fiji Sun
Fiji Sun
The Fiji Sun is a daily newspaper published in Fiji. Owned by Sun News Limited, it was first published in September 1999. An internet edition is also published....
journalist, the Sun reported on 29 January. In 2000, he approved the sale of the vehicle to Naitasiri
Naitasiri
Naitasiri is one of the 14 provinces of Fiji and one of eight based in Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island.-Geography and infrastructure:Naitasiri as a province covers 1,666 square kilometers , the Province occupies the area to the north and east of Suva, the capital...
farmer Lemeki Natorogia for F$700. He claimed not to have known at the time that the vehicle was government-owned.