The Chief of the Australian Defence Force General Angus Campbell says the Deputy Commander of the 7th Brigade of the Australian Army Colonel Penioni Naliva has not been stood down and continues to work from home, supporting his family in a fairly stressful circumstance.
In a report released by the Guardian, General Campbell said he was unaware of serious allegations against Colonel Penioni Naliva, before approving his appointment to an Australian army brigade.
Appearing before a parliamentary committee, General Angus said it was important to work through that process carefully, because he had a duty of care to the individuals and also to the ADF.
He said: “Progressing beyond one error to make a second error without undertaking what should have been a correct process is simply a perpetuation of error.”
“Colonel Naliva was entitled to a presumption of innocence,” General Campbell said.
The chief of ADF confirmed that he was responsible for approving the appointment, which was part of a program of further strengthening the relationship between Pacific military forces and Australia.
General Campbell is considering the next steps after taking further advice.
“I have directed that the process be completed, as it ought to have been, to present me with the full view, including the advice offered from the government of Fiji and the Commander of the Fiji Military Forces as much as the considerations of our own vetting mechanisms,” he said.
Colonel Naliva was named last month as a deputy commander of the 7th Brigade based at Gallipoli barracks in Brisbane.
