Fiji minister resigns from Cabinet amid social media video controversy

Fiji’s Acting Attorney-General and Justice Minister Siromi Turaga has resigned from Cabinet amid a controversy over an explicit video reportedly linked to his social media account.

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka confirmed he had accepted Turaga's resignation after Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting.

Turaga remains a Member of Parliament and a member of the People’s Alliance Party.

No replacement has been appointed with Rabuka seeking advice from the Solicitor-General’s Office.

It has not been publicly established who uploaded the video and Turaga has not publicly explained what happened.

Before the resignation, Rabuka said the same standard applied to former minister Lynda Tabuya would apply to the male minister at the centre of the controversy.

Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has accepted Siromi Turaga’s resignation from Cabinet and is seeking legal advice on appointing a replacement. Photo/Fiji government/file

Rabuka told the Fiji Sun he would speak to the minister personally, who was reportedly overseas, before making a decision.

“He must have the opportunity to defend himself,” Rabuka said when asked whether the minister could be suspended.

Rabuka had also said he had not seen the video and had no proof it was posted on the minister’s account.

Lynda Tabuya was removed from Cabinet in December 2024 after an intimate video involving her circulated online. Photo/Supplied

Tabuya was removed as minister for women, children and social protection in December 2024 after an intimate video involving her circulated online.

She said the recording was private and its circulation was an invasion of privacy.

The cases have raised questions about ministerial accountability but the circumstances of each must be established separately.

In Turaga’s case, it remains unclear how the video appeared online or whether he uploaded it himself.

The controversy has also renewed attention on the sharing of intimate images without consent.

Watch Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka speaking to journalists following Siromi Turaga's resignation on Tuesday.

Fiji’s Online Safety Commission has previously warned that posting or sharing intimate images or videos without a person’s consent can be a criminal offence under the Online Safety Act 2018.

The Commission has urged people affected by the sharing of such material to lodge a complaint.

“The OSC strongly condemns such acts and urges the members of the public who are being victimised by such act to lodge their complaints with the OSC at the earliest," the commission said.

“In Fiji, it is against the law to post, send or share an intimate image or video of anyone without their consent.”

PMN News has sought comment from Turaga and the Prime Minister’s Office on the resignation and the process for appointing a replacement.

Fiji’s Online Safety Commission says sharing intimate images or videos without a person’s consent can be a criminal offence under the Online Safety Act 2018. It urges people not to share or circulate such material. Photo/Fiji Online Safety Commission