Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Fiji’s Bainimarama says church ministers breached regulations

Posted at 00:15 on 23 July, 2009 UTC

Fiji’s interim Prime Minister says the members of the Methodist church arrested recently were taken in because they breached the Public Emergency Regulations.

Commodore Frank Bainimarama told Fiji Village they had discovered that the Methodist Church ministers had told their congregation that their annual conference will go ahead this year.

He says that’s a clear violation of the regulations.

He also stressed that no permit has or will be issued to the Church for their Conference this year.

Commodore Bainimarama also confirmed that the Paramount Chief of Dreketi, Ro Teimumu Kepa, who was taken in early yesterday, is still being questioned by police.

He said they have found out that Ro Teimumu has been telling people that the conference will go ahead.