Sacked Fiji TV executives take their complaints to police

Transcript

The fallout from the Fiji Government's dispute with Fiji TV and World Rugby has continued, with the sacked executives filing a complaint with the police against the Attorney General.

Tanya Waqanika and Tevita Gonelevu have presented police with a paper trail of emails that purport to show Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum threatened the Fiji TV board if it didn't agree to the Government's stance in the recent stoush over broadcasting rights to show the Rugby Sevens.

The director of Fiji TV denies both the claims of government interference and wrongful dismissal.

Alex Perrottet reports.

The former head of content Tanya Waqanika says there's no doubt that a letter, sent by Fiji TV in December, was drafted in the Attorney General's office and signed under duress.

TANYA WAQANIKA: I was there in that boardroom when the Attorney General brought out a piece of paper saying that we must sign, unequivocally. Basically it says Fiji TV agrees to give up its exclusiveness. It was a letter in support to government and that letter was going to World Rugby. And there was an email, paper trail,  from his office to our people at Fiji TV and we all saw it, and we backed it up.

The letter was not signed by the former CEO, Tevita Gonelevu, and the 74-page complaint document says legal advice warned him it was not in the interests of Fiji TV to agree to the broadcasting arrangement imposed by Mr Sayed Khaiyum. Emails from a board member, Gary Callaghan, confirm that the board did not approve the letter and also did not approve the final sub-licensing agreement with Fiji Broadcasting Corporation. Mr Callaghan resigned from the board later that month. Ms Waqanika says this all proves the Attorney General lied to the public and the Parliament and should be investigated and impeached. The director, Nouzab Fareed, denies any involvement from the AG. He says he wrote the letter.

NOUZAB FAREED: I can vouch anywhere, this letter, I wrote, on a Fiji TV computer. Nobody gave me it in any format. Signed by Mr Naiveli and myself, because the CEO refused to sign.

But Ms Waqanika has produced an image of a mobile text sent from Mr Fareed confirming Mr Sayed Khaiyum was ordering what he called "compliance". She says the board now needs to stand up for the truth.

The text sent from Nouzab Fareed to Tanya Waqanika. Photo: Supplied

TANYA WAQANIKA: None of them will confirm what he's saying. They will all need to start speaking up for the truth. Tevita was told in that meeting, and he told me, it's in the 74-page report, that the directive came from the Attorney General, and Fareed said 'You have to go, the AG wants you to go, Tanya'. The problem with Nouzab Fareed, is he's a liar.

The chairman of the board, Ioane Naiveli, says the government is the regulator, and it can effectively do what it likes. With the company's license only renewed every six months, the best interests of the company dictate that the director simply must agree with directives.

IOANE NAIVELI: I think what he's doing is good for the organisation. Whether he's doing for himself or for what, but to me, if he is doing it for the good of the organisation, then I would accept that, because at the end of the day it's the organisation that needs to survive, not our individual interests.

Ioane Naiveli says the sacking was in accordance with the contract. Mr Fareed told media this week he is a business guy, and needs to make people happy. He says the company didn't get a single cent from the Dubai Sevens, and now he is happy they are again making money. But he also dismissed the claims from the sacked executives.

NOUZAB FAREED: And instead such statements are clearly malicious, emotional, or without any basis. These statements are a clear indication of disgruntled employees, as a result of the decision taken by Fiji TV, which is the best interest of the company.

Ms Waqanika says she is an experienced lawyer and trusts the legal system to deal with the complaint professionally.