Shin Ok-ju, the founder of Grace Road Church, was jailed in South Korea in 2019 for enslaving some 400 followers in Fiji. Photo: Grace Road Church
An opposition leader in Fiji says there needs to be a special investigation into companies that belong to the Korean religious group Grace Road.
The church's founder was arrested in Seoul late last month and charged with enslaving followers in Fiji.
(Read more about Grace Road Church, what it's accused of, and its business links in Fiji here)
SODELPA's Sitiveni Rabuka has raised a raft of questions over the operations of the companies run by Grace Road.
He says it has at least eight limited liability companies and questions whether they comply with Fiji's labour laws.
Mr Rabuka says Fiji's border control and immigration procedures are also in question and must be urgently investigated.
The politician claims many local people are looking for work and land yet the Grace Road companies were allowed to import foreign labour and received generous land leases.
He also wants a probe to find out why foreigners are getting into businesses usually reserved for locals, like hair salons and restaurants.
