28 Jan 2009

Fiji's interim attorney-general accuses Australian official of derogatory comments

5:05 am on 28 January 2009

The Fiji interim attorney-general, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, has accused an official at Australia's foreign ministry of adding derogatory comments to the online encyclopedia entry of Fiji's chief justice.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum made the comment after the Pacific Islands Forum summit in Papua New Guinea where he criticised Australia's and New Zealand's stance towards his administration.

He says the information added about Justice Anthony Gates has been examined by the information ministry, which he says contacted the individual alleged to have made the alteration.

"We got someone who is a computer expert who traced the changes which you can do, and it takes you back to whoever has made the changes. And the source was a person called Dennis Whitford, Department of dfat.gov.au in the R J Casey Building, Brisbane Ave, Parks ACT."

Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum.