Attorney General Siromi Turaga says he has exercised his powers under Section 13B of the Charitable Trusts Act of 1945, when he met with the Fiji Rugby Union yesterday.

Following a meeting with Turaga, the Fiji Rugby Union board and acting Chief Executive Sale Sorovaki have remained mum.

But following the meeting the FRU Board of directors, those in attendance have acknowledged by consensus to resign voluntarily while absent directors will resign by flying minutes.

Turaga has clarified that he advised FRU could not operate as a charitable trust for several reasons.

He states that FRU is being run by its board using the articles of association of the FRU Company, which is illegal for charitable trusts.

The AG also points out that there is no link between the Fiji Rugby Football Union Trust Board (the charitable trust) and the Fiji Rugby Union Pte Limited (the company limited by guarantees) for the governing instrument of one to apply to the other, and vice-versa.

Adding to this, he says the 2018 constitution being used by the FRU Board to make appointments to run its affairs, set the AGM, call for nominations, defend appeals by Suva, Naitasiri and Namosi, and operate thus far is not registered under the Charitable Trust Act, nor at the Registry of Titles, and is therefore illegal.

He says this is due to the fact that it was unsigned and undated by the Trustees, unaccompanied by the minutes of the meeting of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) or Special General Meeting (SGM) of the FRU wherein the constitution was adopted, not witnessed, signed and stamped by any Commissioner of Oaths or solicitor.

This was also not endorsed, signed and stamped by the Registrar of Titles at the time it was lodged for registration.

Turaga says with the discrepancies he informed FRU that it will need to regularise and legalise its status as a charitable trust to be consistent with the provisions of the Charitable Trusts Act 1945.

The AGM cannot be held until and unless the status of FRU as a charitable body is regularised.

Turaga says by the powers vested in him, he will now move protect the assets and operations of the FRU and appoint interim Trustees of the FRU to take it forward to a SGM.

He will also oversee the appointment of an interim administrator to act on behalf of interim trustees.