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FBC and its CEO sue FLP for social media online defamation

May 30, 2018 1:25 am

Fiji Broadcasting Corporation and its chief executive Riyaz Sayed-Khaiyum are suing Fiji Labour Party for social media online defamation.

The case was called before High Court Master Vishwa Sharma at the Suva High Court today.

FBC Lawyer, Emmanuel Narayan told the court that Sayed-Khaiyum wishes to amend his claims due to the Labour Party making further defamatory claims on their Facebook page.

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FLP Lawyer Dharmendra Kumar did not object to the amendments however, he told the court that cost must be paid.

Narayan further informed the court that he needs to consult Riyaz Sayed-Khaiyum on the cost.

The case will be called again on July 2nd.

In the Facebook post, FLP claimed that FBC was unable to service its loan of about $21million and that the chief executive officer of FBC had to turn to the Attorney-General “Aiyaz Khaiyum” to “bail him out of this mess and the taxpayers got butchered in the process as an easy way was found to settle the matter.

The statement of claims filed by Narayan says the post was designed and engineered to cause damage to the plaintiffs.

He further states that as a result of the post, the plaintiffs were suffering grave reputational damage.

He says the chief executive officer of FBC has been greatly injured in his character and reputation and had suffered hatred, ridicule and contempt.