4 Dec 2002

Telpac seeks court injunction in Fiji over regulation

5:33 pm on 4 December 2002

Telecommunications company, TELPAC, is seeking a court injunction in Fiji over a new regulation it believes is aimed at forcing the company to close down.

Telpac's chief executive, Tim Gibbons, says they're going to court because the regulation may be used to seize assets.

He says they'll also pursue a lawsuit seeking damages of 100 million U.S. dollars as a result of the collusion and deceptive business practices Telpac has been subjected to.

Mr Gibbons says Telecom Fiji, Fintel and the Telecommunications department have attempted to shut out competition which is what the lawsuit will allege.

"It's going to be in a violation of the fair trade act,... misuse of power,...we're going to hit them for fraud, for deceptive business practices. There's a collusion between Fintel, Telcom and the communications department, in trying to eliminate competition, which is in gross violation of the fair trading act as well as the commerce act, as well as their main bible here, the post and telecommunications act."

Telpac chief executive, Tim Gibbons