28 Sep 2005

Fiji paper ordered to apologise for defying court

5:19 pm on 28 September 2005

The Suva High Court has ordered Fiji's Daily Post newspaper to publish an apology for defying court orders and printing stories related to a case currently being heard by Justice Nazhat Shameem.

Radio Legend reports that the Daily Post had published the comments of the information minister, Marieta Rigamoto, after the chief executive of the Prime Minister's Office, Jioji Kotobalavu, was summoned to court and reprimanded for commenting on the case.

Justice Shameem then ordered that no one outside the court was to comment on the case which involves the 13-million US dollar agriculture ministry scam.

But the Daily Post, which is 44 percent owned by the government, went against the court order and yesterday published comments on the case by Mrs Rigamoto.

Justice Shameem said today the Daily Post defied the court order knowing that any article relating to the case could have prejudiced the accused person.

She has ordered the Daily Post to publish an apology tomorrow.