Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Fiji says Lal departure for Australia is not expulsion

Posted at 01:43 on 05 November, 2009 UTC

Fiji’s immigration director is denying that an Australian academic of Fiji origin, Brij Lal, has been deported.

Professor Lal had been questioned by the military yesterday after giving media interviews.

Before flying out of Fiji this morning, Professor Lal said he was told to leave the country within 24 hours.

But Major Nemani Vuniwaqa, says Professor Lal was not expelled.

“Dr Brij Lal was in Fiji on a visitor’s permit and according to our records he had left the country on a flight to Australia. He was not expelled from the country as claimed by him.”

Nemani Vuniwaqa would not make any comments as to whether or why Professor Lal has been taken in for questioning.