Marieta Rigamoto
{{Short description|Fijian politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2016}}
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| office9 = Minister for Information and Media Relations
| primeminister9 = Laisenia Qarase
| term_start9 = 12 July 2005
| term_end9 = 13 May 2006
| predecessor9 = Ahmed Ali
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| constituency_MP11 = Rotuma Communal
| parliament11 = Fijian
| term_start11 = 15 May 1999
| term_end11 = 13 May 2006
| predecessor11 = None (Constituency established)
| successor11 = Jioji Konrote
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| birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|75|2017|09|02}}{{cite web |url=https://fijisun.com.fj/2017/09/02/dudley-high-celebrates-120th-anniversary/ |title=Dudley High Celebrates 120th Anniversary |publisher=Fiji Sun |date=2 September 2017 |access-date=7 March 2023}}
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Marieta Rigamoto (born {{birth based on age as of date|75|2017|09|02|noage=1}}) is a former Fijian civil servant, politician and Cabinet Minister.
Education and early career
Rigamoto was educated at Dudley High School, and subsequently graduated with a Diploma in Tropical Agriculture from the Fiji College of Agriculture in 1965, and with a Bachelor's degree in Science (BSc) from the University of Hawaiʻi in 1969. She later completed postgraduate work at the University of London in 1971.
She worked in the civil service from 1966 to 1998. Her assignments included the Ministry of Agriculture (1969–1982), and the Public Service Commission (1975–1976). She was Principal of the Fiji College of Agriculture from 1982 to 1989. Her last civil service appointment was in the Office of the President, from 1994. She retired from the civil service on 1 December 1998.
Political career
She contested the 1999 Fijian general election as an independent, and was elected to the House of Representatives of Fiji after winning a tight competition for the Rotuman Communal Constituency. She was subsequently appointed Assistant Minister for Agriculture.{{cite web |url=http://www.rotuma.net/os/NewsArchive/Archive1999/rigamoto9910.htm |title=Excerpts of Marieta Rigamoto's interview with The Review |publisher= |date= |access-date=7 March 2023}} During the 2000 Fijian coup d'état she was taken hostage by George Speight. After turning down an offer of freedom,{{cite web |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/women-held-in-fiji-hostage-crisis-refuse-offer-of-freedom-1.278743 |title=Women held in Fiji hostage crisis refuse offer of freedom |publisher=Irish Times |date=5 June 2000 |access-date=7 March 2023}} she was eventually released on 24 June after 37 days in captivity.{{cite web |url=https://www.deseret.com/2000/6/26/19514867/freed-fijian-hostages-tell-of-fear-and-hope |title=Freed Fijian hostages tell of fear and hope |publisher=Deseret News |date=27 June 2000 |access-date=7 March 2023}}{{cite web |url=https://www.news24.com/news24/revisiting-ghosts-of-fiji-parliament-20000801 |title=Revisiting 'ghosts' of Fiji parliament |publisher=News24 |date=1 August 2000 |access-date=7 March 2023}} She was re-elected in the 2001 election{{cite web |url=http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/f/fiji/fiji20014.txt |title=REPUBLIC OF THE FIJI ISLANDS PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS OF 25 AUGUST TO 1 SEPTEMBER 2001 |publisher=Psephos |access-date=7 March 2023}} and appointed Assistant Minister in the Prime Minister's Department. Following the death of Ahmed Ali she was appointed Minister for Information and Media Relations in July 2005.{{cite web |title=Fiji government awards second pay TV license |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/157237/fiji-government-awards-second-pay-tv-license |access-date=7 March 2023 |publisher=RNZ |date= 1 September 2005}} In September 2005 she was forced to apologise for contempt of court, after commenting on evidence during the trial of an agriculture ministry official over a multi-million dollar corruption scam.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/157800/fiji-minister-apologises-for-contempt-of-court |title=Fiji minister apologises for contempt of court |publisher=RNZ |date=29 September 2005 |access-date=7 March 2023}}
In February 2006 she announced that she would not be contesting the 2006 election. Following her retirement she was named as one of a number of Ministers who has used farming assistance funding to buy votes during the 2001 election.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/164963/fiji-agriculture-scam-money-used-to-buy-votes-in-2001 |title=Fiji agriculture scam money used to buy votes in 2001 |publisher=RNZ |date=27 September 2006 |access-date=7 March 2023}}{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/165138/police-witness-names-four-ministers-alleged-to-be-part-of-fiji-agriculutre-scam |title=Police witness names four ministers alleged to be part of Fiji agriculutre scam |publisher=RNZ |date=5 October 2006 |access-date=7 March 2023}} Further allegations of her involvement were made at another trial in 2011.{{cite web |url=https://www.fijivillage.com/news/Sorovakatini-alleges-some-ministers-benefited-from-scheme-s9kr52 |title=Sorovakatini alleges some ministers benefited from scheme |publisher=Fiji Village |date=8 March 2011 |access-date=7 March 2023}} The investigation was ultimately discontinued in 2011.{{cite web |url=https://www.fijivillage.com/news/No-further-investigations-into-Agriculture-Scam---Police-s259kr |title=No further investigations into Agriculture Scam - Police |publisher=Fiji Village |date=21 March 2011 |access-date=7 March 2023}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rigamoto, Marieta}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:20th-century Fijian educators
Category:Rotuman members of the House of Representatives (Fiji)
Category:Alumni of the University of London
Category:University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa alumni
Category:Government ministers of Fiji
Category:Fijian women educators