Have you ever wondered how Khaiyum’s mother, Latifa, managed to purchase a couple of beach front properties on Naisoso Island for OVER a million dollars each? See Michael Fields article. No money changed hands, which suggests a bribe for services. The connection with Latifa and Naisoso Island lies with Robert Edward Lowres, Managing Director of RELCORP Fiji ltd, who was appointed to the board of Investment Fiji, by Khaiyum. Investigations have found that Mr Rex Hollows had an agreement to purchase the island from Jerald Scofield. However, Walter Morgan of Mitchel Kiel and Associates, was representing Glenn Inger, the ex Warehouse founder. Mr Inger and Mr Hollows were planning to develop four resorts on Naisoso Island. But Walter Morgan, was also a director of Bob Lowres’ company, and he informed Lowres of the Naisoso situation and together they contacted Scofield directly and managed to swindled Naisoso from Rex Hollows. This was a direct conflict of interest by Walter Morgan. After Bainimarama’s coup, Lowres hooked up with Khaiyum and Bainimarama who intimidated and threatened lawyers wanting to represent Rex Hollows. They managed to keep Hollows from taking legal action against Lowres. Hollows had been trying to assert his rightful ownership of Naisoso. Lowres had also managed to get Hollows banned from entering Fiji, where Hollows’ mother was born, in Levuka. But it did not end here. What is also interesting is how a 96 acre Naisoso island [as shown in its original title] managed to grow to over 200 acres! A part of this increase involved three little nearby piles of mangrove, approx. 10 acres, [see Figure 1] which were transferred, with their own individual titles, to the Director of Lands in 2009! [See figure 2.]. Why would Government want to create new titles for Crown land that the Government already owned?
These three little islands didn’t exist before and were created out of the surrounding native lands. Extra land has also been created along the width of the island. Tiri/dogo have also been cut away to make way for the waterways around the island so boats can reach private jetties. This infringes native fishing rights. Lowres, a foreigner at the time, was therefore required to bring his own money from overseas. Records show that Lowres borrowed in excess of $70 million from both the ANZ Bank in Fiji [two amounts of $54,146,000.00 and $5,000,000.00] and $11,040,750.00 from the Fiji Development Bank [FDB]. FDB was second in line for repayments. The $450 million project got off the ground in 2009 with the illegal Minister of Tourism, Khaiyum, [23 April 2009] saying in his speech to launch the project, “I have been bed ridden for nearly a week due to illness, however, I have got out of bed given the importance of the occasion”, Khaiyum goes on to say “it is also unique because it has also forged a partnership between a private financier ANZ and the statutory entity of FDB. While the bulk of the funding has been facilitated by ANZ, FDB has catered for that crucial component.” There is no record of Lowres contributing any substantial off-shore funds into the project. Judges and experienced lawyers and FICAC have agreed that fraud and corruption had taken place between Robert [Bob] Lowres and various lawyers, Ministers and possibly even judges. The people of Fiji have only heard about the corruption and failures at Momi Bay and Natadola. There is more Bainimarama corruption being undertaken by the illegal AG and Minister of Tourism, Khaiyum. Investigations are continuing!
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