Fiji's interim attorney general, Aiyaz Sayed-Khayum, has asked the military to liaise with police to use the Public Order Act to charge people who are believed to be making inciteful comments.
Radio Legend reports that the request follows an incident on Tuesday night when soldiers apprehended Suva lawyer Richard Naidu to caution him about statements he made on Radio New Zealand International.
Mr Sayed-Khayum says he has suggested to the military that it would be better to take these matters to the police after collating all the evidence.
The interim attorney general says he went to the army camp at 11 o'clock on Tuesday night to ensure that Mr Naidu was released.
He says while the interim administration wants human rights respected, the military maintains that Mr Naidu's comments were misleading and inciteful.
The military says freedom of expression even in normal times does not allow a person to be untruthful and disputes Mr Naidu's assertion President Ratu Josefa Iloilo is not the constitutional president.
Army spokesman Major Neumi Leweni says making such comments about the head of state was inciteful, against public order and disrespectful of a person who has shown fortitude and wisdom.
