The Suva High court has ordered the Fijian Broadcasting Corporation to serve an affidavit regarding the audited financial statement for year 2009 in relation to a 2017 matter.

The Suva High court has ordered the Fijian Broadcasting Corporation to serve an affidavit regarding the audited financial statement for year 2009 in relation to a 2017 matter.

The Fijian Broadcasting Corporation and its Chief Executive took the Fiji Labour Party to court over a statement published on social media by the party against the national broadcaster.

The posting was done on a Facebook page titled “Fiji Labour Party” on July 15th, 2016 alleging amongst other things that operations of the FBC have been tarnished by corrupt dealings.

The Fiji Labour Party had claimed that FBC took a loan of $27 million with the Fiji Development Bank which it was unable to service.

The statement had also claimed that FBC approached a number of banks and financial institutions to take over the initial loan but none would fund it.

The Political Party claimed FBC Chief Executive, Riyaz Sayed-Khaiyum approached his brother Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum to bail him out of the mess.

FLP had further claimed that during the refurbishment of the FBC radio and set up of the FBC TV, most of the equipment was brought in through a NZ radio company owned by close associates of the Sayed-Khaiyum brothers.

In an application dated 21st January 2019, FLP had asked for further production of certain documents and what happened to it.

This included audited financial statements of FBC from 2009 to 2017, FDB loan accounts statements, copies of all correspondence between FDB and FBC relevant to loan and its payment among other documents.

In a ruling today the High court Judge said that the Fiji Labour Party failed in their application to outline how the documents requested are relevant to the issues in question.

The High court also dismissed the application dated 21st January 2019.