Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Fiji interim attorney general denies publisher of Fiji Times was summoned

Posted at 07:23 on 17 March, 2008 UTC

Fiji’s interim attorney general says he did not summon the Fiji Times to his office to discuss concerns over articles the paper was planning to print.

The publisher of the newspaper, Evan Hannah, was called in to discuss the possible publication of articles the interim prime minister’s office had received

He says there’s no record of the article and the paper shouldn’t be intimidated.

But Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiym says Mr Hannah wasn’t summoned.

“’It was an amicable discussion. Fiji Times is saying that I summoned them, I didn’t summon them. I rang and said ’hey, we need to have a discussion with you. There’s some issues that have been raised by the Prime Minister and can we discuss it’ and he said ’sure, fine’. That’s actually the conversation.”

Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiym says no one is asking for a media outlet that’s completely in favour of the Government, but only one that is fair.