Fijian Government Negotiating Confidential Deal With Chief Justice Over COI FindingsMargot Staunton, RNZ Pacific senior journalistThe Fijian government is negotiating a secret deal with the country's highest-ranking judge after he was accused of corruption in a damning Commission of Inquiry (COI) last year. Temo's lawyer, Isireli Fa, told Pacific Waves that Ashton-Lewis exceeded his authority during the COI and his findings against Temo were "defamatory and baseless". The COI, the acting Attorney-General Siromi Turaga and Justice Ashton-Lewis were named as the other party. He said the JSC took issue with the inquiry's interpretation of certain sections of the FICAC Act and the Constitution. Fa said the FICAC Act stipulated the JSC's role was to advise the president on who should be appointed as FICAC commissioner.