Apenisa Waqairadovu 
A civil lawsuit has been filed by former Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama against the government and the Office of the Attorney General.
The lawsuit is for failure to pay correct pension and gratuity payments, payable to Bainimarama.
The plaintiff sought that he is entitled to be paid his remaining gratuity by the government amounting to $337,211.12 and a declaration that he is entitled to be paid by the first defendant a fortnightly retirement pension of $7,112.37.
The former Prime Minister also sought judgment in the sum of $337,211.12 and an order that the first defendant pay pre-judgement interest on the judgment sum at the current lending bank’s overdraft rate of 13.5 percent.
He also sought an order that the first defendant pay post-judgement interest from the date of judgment until full payment is made, an order that the first defendant pay the plaintiff’s cost on a full solicitor-client indemnity basis, and such other relief as the Court may deem just and equitable.
While the court documents suggest that Bainimarama remains entitled to the above, the Office of the Attorney General has argued it.
It argues that the salaries of the Prime Minister, Ministers, and other public officers outlined in Part A of the Schedule to the Parliamentary Remunerations Act 2014 were reduced by 20 percent in March of 2022, as per the Parliament’s resolutions.
The AOG says there was no determination before Bainimarama’s retirement, so his salary was $263,000 per annum when he retired.
The matter has been adjourned to February 5th next year.
