After a detailed picture of her appearing online, Fijian Member of Parliament, Lynda Tabuya, was fired from her supervisory position. The film, intended for her father, was circulated on social media, prompting Ms. Tabuya to denounce the work as a legal invasion of privacy.
Only two days after local press broke the news, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka made the announcement on Instagram that she would no longer serve as the minister for women, children, and social security.
” I have decided to exercise the authority conferred upon me to ignore her as a Minister, with quick effect”, he stated, adding that she would be a Member of Parliament.
In her defense in the local media, Ms. Tabuya argued that sharing personal videos and pictures between two consenting adults who are in a marriage, as in this case, me and my spouse, is unconstitutional.
She criticised those who circulated the film, calling it an example of online gender-based crime, a recurring problem in Fiji.
The 52-year-old MP said that she was working with officials to determine the culprits. She made the revelations about one person’s email sharing of the video and warned that anyone who distributed the footage was experience harsh legal consequences.
I warn somebody who shares a video online via Facebook, email, or another social media platform that they are committing a crime and will be held responsible and subject to severe legal sanctions,” she said.
Following Ms. Tabuya’s issue in Suva, Assistant Commissioner of Police Livai Driu confirmed that the Computer Crime System is looking into the matter.
But, Rabuka, the prime minister, pointed out that the government is not looking into the video’s leakage.
” The fact is that this film has been made available. Who and what will have to be subject to further doubting from her side and the law enforcement agencies if she reports the situation to them, he said.
This event highlights the ongoing difficulties of preventing threats and protecting people’s private in Fiji.
