Former politician sues Chaudhry over book
Title -- 4503 FIJI: Former politician sues Chaudhry over book
Date -- 7 September 2004
Byline -- None
Origin -- Pacific Media Watch
Source -- Fiji Sun 7/9/2004
Copyright -- FS
Status -- Unabridged
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EX-POLITICIAN SUES CHAUDHRY
http://www.sun.com.fj/Previous_Days/Tuesday/News/Headline_3_tue.htm
SUVA (Fiji Sun Online/Pacific Media Watch): Former National Federation Party parliamentarian Karam Chand Ramrakha has filed a libel writ against Fiji Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry and the National Farmers Union in the Supreme Court of New South Wales, in Sydney, Australia.
In the writ, Ramrakha, a Sydney-based barrister, alleges that former prime minister Chaudhry libelled him in the book Children of the Indus, published by the National Farmers Union, of which Chaudhry is general secretary.
The alleged libel, Ramrakha claims, is on page 130: “There is also some basis to the story that Karam Ramrakha and Irene Jai Narayan had informed Ratu George secretly that Koya did not enjoy the support of all NFP parliamentarians. Regrettably, at the hour of his triumph Koya had been stabbed in the back by his own people.”
The episode relates to the 1977 constitutional crisis when Sidiq Koya and the nation learnt that instead of appointing Koya as the Prime Minister following the slender NFP election victory, the then Governor-General, Ratu Sir George Cakobau, reappointed Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara as Prime Minister, and had asked his Alliance Party to form the caretaker government.
Chaudhry and the NFU are jointly sued for defamation.
Ramrakha said the allegation was false and had damaged his reputation.
Chaudhry yesterday referred all questions to FLP assistant secretary-general Lekh Ram Vayeshnoi.
"Whatever comes up, Mr Chaudhry will deal with it," Vayeshnoi said.
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