Dorsami Naidu
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Dorsami Naidu is a Fijian lawyer and politician. On 29 July 2005, he announced his intention to resign as President of the National Federation Party (NFP) at the party conference on the 31st, following his arrest on assault and indecent assault charges, of which he has since been acquitted. He remains the President of the Then India Sanmarga Ikya Sangam (TISI), a Hindu organization for Indo-Fijians of South Indian descent.
On 12 July 2005, the NFP asked Naidu to resign, following his appearance in a Nadi court the previous day on charges of indecent assault and assault. He was accused of indecently assaulting a 20-year old worker in his law office, which is in the basement of his home, on 9 July. In addition, his wife accused him of assaulting her. She is believed to have reported her husband's alleged offences to the police after supposedly catching him red-handed with the staff member in his office. Naidu was released on a surety bail of F$500 after pleading not guilty to both charges. The case was adjourned till 21 July.
Naidu took over the leadership of the NFP, once the main political party appealing to the Indo-Fijian community, when it was in a state of disarray following its poor showing in the parliamentary elections of 1999 and 2001. Naidu had a reputation as a dynamic organizer who undertook a major drive to rejuvenate the party and broaden its appeal to indigenous Fijians, women, and the disadvantaged. In mid-2005, he was at the forefront of a major campaign against a controversial bill being promoted by the Fijian government, that aims to establish a Commission with the power to compensate victims and pardon perpetrators of the civilian coup d'état which deposed the elected government in May 2000.
Announcing his resignation, Naidu made a bitter attack on the party's general secretary, Pramod Rae, for going public with calls for him to step down. The NFP was not a media-led party, he said, and he was "disappointed and hurt" that Rae had gone to the media despite a private assurance from Naidu that he would resign soon. Rae should have called a meeting of the executive board before making such a unilateral decision, Naidu said. On 31 July, the party conference elected Pratap Singh to replace him.
Naidu declared that he still supported the NFP, and that he would remain available to them if ever called upon.
Naidu was acquitted by the Nadi Magistrates Court on 4 August 2005, when the charges against him were dismissed for lack of evidence. The court was told that Naidu's wife, the main complainant and witness in the case, had left Fiji. Naidu's secretary, the alleged victim, said that she had been forced by Naidu's wife to lie to the police that he had sexually assaulted her. The court ordered the prosecution to pay Naidu F$2000 to cover court costs.
Two days after his acquittal, Naidu reiterated that he would remain a supporter of the NFP, despite his "betrayal" by a number of party officials. He expressed his intention to devote most of his time now to his three children, who he said had been adversely affected by the allegations made against him.
