SUVA (Islands Business/Pacific Media Watch): Islands Business managing director Samisoni Pareti and journalist Nanise Volau have been questioned by Fiji police over a story published online by the Suva-based regional news magazine, IB reports.
This follows the article published by Islands Business about Magistrate Andrew See who ruled in favour of Air Terminal Services (ATS) workers locked out for more than a month over an airport industrial dispute.
Pareti and Volau are being questioned under Fiji's Public Order Act.
Police "hope to lay charges of incitement", IB reports on its Facebook page.
Former publisher Netani Rika who resigned in November to work full time for the church was questioned earlier today, the magazine said.
Fijian Media Association general secretary Stanley Simpson said later in a statement on the Friends of Fiji Media Facebook page that Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho had confirmed to the FMA that Samisoni Pareti was questioned this afternoon and released at 4.30 pm.
Netani Rika had confirmed they were now safe at home.
"Police had taken their laptops and phones, hence their inability to communicate after release," Simpson said.
Fiji goes to the polls in a general election later this year.
The controversial article:
CLOUD OVER MAGISTRATE IN ATS CASE
By Nanise Volau
AUTHORITIES are tight-lipped about the future of Magistrate Andrew See who presided over the dispute involving employees of Air Terminal Services.
Islands Business has been tipped off that Magistrate See's contract has been terminated, three weeks after he ruled in favour of the employees.
Contacted in the Lautoka Magistrates Court a short time ago, Magistrate See, an Australian, declined to comment or answer any questions relating to his work.
He referred us instead to Chief Registrar Yohan Liyange in Suva.
Said Mr Liyanage: “This is news to me and I am not aware of any changes, but if you call me on Monday, I can give you an updated record.”
Sources however in Lautoka, where Magistrate See is based and in Suva, say the Australian Tribunal's contract has not been renewed.
In his landmark decision on 20 January, Magistrate See ordered that the 225 workers of ATS be returned to work in accordance with the terms of their employment contract, and on a case-by-case basis, that ATS should ensure that the pay and entitlements of each employee were reviewed and, where necessary, reinstated,
See is a Brisbane-based lawyer and industrial relations consultant. He specialises in all aspects of workplace relations, including human resource management, industrial relations, workplace health and safety and discrimination.
He was appointed in 2011 as an ad hoc Resident Magistrate in Fiji, where he sits on the Employment Relations Tribunal, the Tax Tribunal, the Customs Act Court of Review and the Judicial Services Commission Disciplinary Tribunal (non-judicial staff).
Update posted by Netani Rika on Friends of Fiji Media tonight:
ON behalf of the Islands Business family may I thank all of you for your thoughts, prayers and messages of support today.
Samisoni G Pareti and Nanise Volau are safe and at home after being questioned by police.
A big vinaka vakalevu to our lawyers - Richard Naidu of Munro Leys and Mareta Tikoisuva of Mitchell Keill. Thank you Stanley Ian Simpson of the Fiji Media Association for the back channel work. We also acknowledge Roshika Deo and the United Nations Human Rights team in Suva.
A special thank you to two strong women and true media friends - Roko Tupou Draunidalo and Lenora Qereqeretabua.
And to all our media friends, relatives and the general public in Fiji and abroad - vinaka, dhanyabaad, faiaksia, koraba, xie xie and salamat po.
From the words of the song by Dido - there will be no white flag above our door!
- Islands Business MD and reporter also taken in by Fiji CID
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3
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