Newly appointed Commissioner of Police, Rusiate Tudravu (left), Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka

The new Commissioner of Police, Rusiate Tudravu, was the nominee of Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka.

The Prime Minister revealed this following the announcement of the new COMPOL, saying that Tudravu is not new to the police force, having spent 39 years in the organization before tendering his resignation in August 2021.

He says Tudravu held the position of deputy commissioner when he resigned.

Newly appointed Commissioner of Police, Rusiate Tudravu

He also served as the acting police commissioner for a year when former COMPOL Brigadier General Sitiveni Qiliho was away on overseas studies in the United Kingdom.

Rabuka says he is grateful that due process was followed in appointing the new commissioner following Qiliho’s resignation.

“It has taken a long time, but there are certain provisions of the constitution that had to be met. We waited for a long time until the vacancy of the post had to be properly established, and it came. And grateful that former commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho had resigned, and that opened up the real vacancy for us to go into the process of appointing a commissioner.”

He adds that they went with the recommendation of the Constitutional Offices Commission Panel.

Tudravu has also received the endorsement of the President.

Chairing the panel was Mike Bush, former Commissioner of Police New Zealand, who will be embedded in the headquarters here as the mentor for the new Commissioner.

The commissioner will take up his post on the 3rd of February next year.

Under Section 129(4) of the Constitution, the Commissioner of Police is appointed by the President on the advice of the COC, following consultation with the minister responsible for the Fiji Police Force.

Meanwhile, current Acting Commissioner of Police Juki Fong Chew has also been confirmed in the position of Deputy COMPOL.