Minister summons Fiji Times publisher
Title -- 5377 FIJI: Minister summons Fiji Times publisher
Date -- 15 March 2008
Byline -- None
Origin -- Pacific Media Watch
Source -- Fiji Times 15/03/08
Copyright - FT
Status -- Unabridged
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INTERIM A-G CALLS IN TIMES PUBLISHER
www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=83880
By Amelia Vunileba
SUVA (FT Online/Pacific Media Watch): The Fiji Times publisher Evan Hannah was summoned to a meeting with interim Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum yesterday afternoon.
Accompanying Hannah to the meeting was Munro Leys lawyer Jon Apted.
Sayed-Khaiyum said in a press conference late yesterday afternoon the meeting was to discuss the possible publication of certain articles that the Prime Minister's Office had received on Thursday afternoon.
"The PM's Office received yesterday a couple of articles from within The Fiji Times that apparently were going to be printed as an opinion piece," said Sayed-Khaiyum.
"It was called 'Exposing the Lie'."
He said the interim government believed the articles contained factual inaccuracies, were highly emotive and discussed matters that were before the courts.
"I raised these with Mr Hannah and said that we were very concerned about the fact that based on the information we were given that such an article would be printed," he said.
Sayed-Khaiyum said he received a text from Hannah who indicated the articles were not in The Fiji Times database and were not going to be printed.
The Fiji Times editor-in-chief Netani Rika said Sayed-Khaiyum had done himself, the media and country a great disservice by trying to create a situation that did not exist.
"Perhaps the interim Attorney-General should make known everything that he said to the publisher during their meeting," he said.
"Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said the interim PM, who is also interim Minister for Information, had raised his concern about the slant The Fiji Times had taken over a period of time.
"He said it included letters to the editor where some people had complained that their letters never got printed because they were positive about the interim regime.
"He said a certain contributor to the letters to the editor, James Bolavucu, was supposedly writing from the UK but the interim government had reliable information he was writing from Tamavua."
Rika said the letters column reflected the number of letters received daily about certain topics.
"There is no attempt made here not to run letters which are positive to the government," he said.
"If Mr Sayed-Khaiyum knows who the writers are, I'd be glad to get their names and address the issue."
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