While we await responses from Lynda Tabuya, the Prime Minister and the police about the reported existence of a second sex tape involving the notorious Minister for Bonking and Weed, to follow is a prime example of the corruption of the local media and its selective reporting in favour of the powerful while it ignores stories like Tabuya’s repeated transgressions.
The sidelined deputy prime minister, Manoa Kamikamica, is currently on trial for corruption-related charges yet you would think from CFL’s coverage of the proceedings that it is Janet Mason – the former counsel assisting the Ashton-Lewis Commission of Inquiry giving evidence in the case – who is really in the dock.
Late last night, an extraordinary story appeared as the lead on Fiji Village placing the emphasis not on the charges against Kamikamica but the alleged wrongdoing of Janet Mason when she fell foul of the New Zealand Law Society for failing to attend a legal education workshop.
The full CFL story below but this is how its narrative opens:
Wylie Clarke “called out” Janet Mason? This is what that term means:
“To “call out” primarily means to publicly point out someone’s wrongdoing, hold them accountable, or expose bad behavior“.
FACT: Janet Mason was disciplined not for professional misconduct but for failing to attend a professional development course within a required period. She did attend the course but not until after the time frame specified. The High Court judge who heard the appeal specifically said she had chosen to put the interests of her clients and her court appearances on their behalf before her obligation to attend the course.
Some wrongdoing. How terrible of her to put her clients first!
And yet in Fiji, we have a Deputy DPP in the form of John Rabuku who cannot hold the top job because has actually been found guilty of professional misconduct by the Independent Legal Services Commission. And in the case of lawyer Filimoni Vosarogo – the Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources – he has been convicted of professional conduct by the ILSC not once but three times.
In any event, It isn’t Janet Mason but Manoa Kamikamica who is on trial and by any journalistic standard, it was the case against him and the evidence given yesterday that should have been the main focus of the CFL story.
Why wasn’t it? Because, it seems, William Parkinson’s radio network has a bias towards Manoa Kamikamica and a bias against Janet Mason. And in this instance, it has shamelessly allowed that bias to infiltrate its news coverage to manipulate the facts and attempt to influence public opinion.
FACT: Grubsheet understands from someone who was present in the court that it was Wylie Clarke, not Janet Mason, who was really under pressure. He was questioned why Mason’s run-in with the New Zealand Law Society had any relevance whatsoever to the case against his client. And he was taken to task – to use the local parlance – for giving evidence from the bar about his own involvement with the CoI (where he was accused of perverting the course of justice) and breaking one of the most fundamental principles of court practice.
QUOTE: “Most of Clarke’s propositions were so weak they were dismissed out of hand. His questioning and the responses from Ms Mason worsened his client’s case and bolstered the perjury case for FICAC. One of his conspiracy propositions implying the CoI was politically motivated was dismissed by Ms Mason as “arrant nonsense”.
No mention by CFL of “Wylie Coyote” being called out, taken to task or challenged. And again, where is the emphasis in this story of the case against the man in the dock accused of perjury – Kamikamica – rather that the person called by FICAC to give evidence against him? I repeat: It is Manoa Kamikamica who is on trial, not Janet Mason. Not that you’d know it from the main story on CFL-Fiji Village this morning.
William Parkinson’s network is receiving public money from the Coalition at the same time as he is making record profits. The least it can do in return is to report fairly and without bias. Yet it evidently sees its role to support the government and its ministers and manipulate its news coverage to their advantage.
Anywhere else in the democratic world, CFL-Fiji Village would be brought to account for its conduct. And that’s what must happen with any change of government. Because this kind of manipulation is not only a breach of basic journalist ethics but is contrary to the national interest and cannot go on.
Manoa Kamikamica, Anne Kamikamica, Judy Compain, Barbara Malimali, Tanya Waqanika, Vijay Narayan, William Parkinson, Charles Taylor and many others with a special interest in the COI findings are regulars at Compain’s Farmers Daughter cafe on Disraeli Road, Suva. These people are all great friends who think they – and they alone – have all the answers to Fiji’s problems. They are now conspiring with whatever tools and resources at their disposal to attack the institutions of the state to advance personal agendas.
Some in this group have even loudly proclaimed God’s support for their cause, which they purport to be in the national interest. We are obviously not fooled by this shameless misuse of God’s name and splendour. This is purely a personal and political crusade by this group, some of whom face jailtime and are strongly incentivised, and therefore deeply conflicted, to derail the CoI. A comeuppance beckons.
P.S. I have also seen Justice Dane Tuiqereqere at this cafe on multiple occasions. Although no suggestion of improper or inappropriate conduct on the part of the judge is intended or implied here, I am surprised he chose to go to the very spot frequented by many patrons who are parties to proceedings before him.
Trust CFL to poo poo Janet Mason while the accused grins like the idiot he is. Why lie is proof there is honor among coyotes even. lol!
GD, it’s plain while you were out recuperating, nothing much changed in the cesspool.
No news was good news when you were on hiatus. Now it’s back to the same old same old — new sex tapes, lying lawyers, compromised media with poo poo ‘journalists.’
You sir, are bad news! /s
I know. I’m a total disgrace. 🙂
“They are paid by the government to remain silent. The CFL is a private company, yet it also receives government funding. The question that must be asked is: why are taxpayer dollars being given to a private company?”
Because there is no one in a position of authority that will call them out and they can get away with it. Same as every other bad deed that goes unpunished in this excuse for a country that is run by a pack of Jackles that have their own interests foremost in their minds as they rape and pillage the country that they profess to love and serve.
But hey, Sunday’s not far away for a bout of contrition to put it all right again at the local church.
Wylie ‘Coyote’ Clarke and Richard ‘Bitch’ Naidu would be the two most overrated lawyers in Fiji. Nothing but big fish in a small pond. Corrupt as f**k as Wylie and his gangs strong arm tactics at the FICAC office and the role of Richard the Bitch in the Fiji Water 7 year tax holiday case revealed.
Bastard Richard not only f**ked up the coalition government with his Fiscal Review committee recommendation to increase VAT but also screwed up Biman’s case.
After hitting the poor with the VAT increase and selling out the interest of native resource owners to his client Fiji Water, this dog has turned his attention to the sugar industry and pretending to care about the farmers.
This is what Richard did. This is how he repays the government which appointed him in good faith — sell out the interest of native resource owners, impose a bigger tax on the people of Fiji and put the government’s reelection at risk.
Anything this traitor touches turns to shit. Farmers should tell him just what they told Biman —f**k off!
Welcome back GD. I was beginning to suffer withdrawals. Nothing’s changed except I put on my dark sunglasses before opening Grubsheet..for fear of being confronted by Lynda in all her glory yet again.
It’s not about merit anymore; it’s about what social group you belong to that matters and which coffee shop you frequent.