Bainimarama accuses media of 'planned attack'
Title -- 5354 FIJI: Bainimarama accuses media of 'planned attack'
Date -- 6 March 2008
Byline -- None
Origin -- Pacific Media Watch
Source -- FijiVillage.com 5/03/08
Copyright - FV
Status -- Unabridged
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'PLANNED ATTACK ON CHAUDHRY-BAINIMARAMA'
www.fijivillage.com/?mod=story&id=050308217ec0775d79b040b8a57dd3
SUVA (FijiVillage.com/Pacific Media Watch): Interim Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama believes there are several attacks against Interim Finance Minister Mahendra Chaudhry to weaken the interim government.
Bainimarama says he knows that a lot of Fijians do not like Chaudhry and - "even if a child trips and falls down in America or there is darkness in the world" - these critics will blame everything on Chaudhry.
When questioned on whether he would take any action in relation to the allegations leveled against his Interim Finance Minister, Commodore Bainimarama said Chaudhry had written to him to take the necessary action he saw fit and the Interim PM would decide on that action in due course.
However, Bainimarama maintained that in his view all these things were being done to weaken the interim government and to create obstacles for it. He said this poison was being spread by some chiefs and church pastors.
Bainimarama said it was always the case that if someone from outside who was not an indigenous Fijian was leading the country, these critics would turn it into a racial issue and say the leader would steal the property of the indigenous Fijians.
The Interim PM also raised concern on the contents of the emails allegedly exchanged between Fiji Sun publisher Russell Hunter and one of the correspondents for the newspaper.
According to Bainimarama, in the emails the newspaper correspondent gave the names of a few judges who were assisting him in the stories in relation to Chaudhry and the tax allegations leveled against him.
Bainimarama also alleged that one of the media personnel with the initials DT was also mentioned in some of the emails.
The Interim PM said this person left for Samoa on the 4 February 2008, according to the emails. He also alleged that the person with the initials DT was putting together some stories about Chaudhry with the Fiji Sun correspondent.
Bainimarama said this was a planned attack against Chaudhry.
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