The decision by the ODPP to discontinue its prosecution of the Fiji Times over the vile hate speech against Muslims that it published in its iTaukei vernacular paper, Nai Lalakai, in 2016 has triggered more self-righteousness from the paper’s Editor, Fred Wesley, and a tamani-sized lie.
Here’s what Fred Wesley says in today’s edition in response to the ODPP’s decision to drop its appeal against the acquittal of the paper in 2018 on a charge of sedition following the death last year of the then Fiji Times Publisher, Hank Arts.
In the absence of specific hate speech laws in Fiji, a charge of sedition was the only one that could be brought in such a case in which Muslims were described as rapists and murderers – a situation that continues to this day.
“Had the government brought this to our attention we would have dissociated ourselves from it and apologised?” Rubbish.
FACT: The Fiji Times had been warned officially about articles in Nai Lalakai inciting ill-will against the minorities well in advance of the charge being laid, as Grubsheet reported last June.
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But let’s not let the facts get in the way of Fred Wesley‘s bullshit narrative about the righteous Fiji Times being bullied by the evil Bainimarama government with a charge that would have been laid by any government in the region, given the gravity of Nai Lalakai’s attack on Muslims.
“Distasteful”? It was unlawful.
Want to know what really happened, Fiji? Here’s our article from June last year which examines this saga in detail. And it isn’t how the Fiji Times, its Editor and its lawyer and one-time columnist, Richard Naidu, tell it at all.
As we’ve said before, the nation’s traditional newspaper of record and “first draft of history” has been corrupted under its current owners, the Motibhai Patel family of Ba. And in the interests of every Fijian, they must be stripped of the title whenever a government is elected that really cares about proper media standards of free, fair and unbiased reporting.
UPDATE SUNDAY AM:
True to form, the Fiji Times wheels out one of its resident useful idiots to celebrate its narrow escape and perpetuate the myth that it was blameless. “Braving the ordeal and continuing with media ethics”.
Ethics? Their idea of “ethics” is to allow their columns to be used to stir up racial hatred and then squeal like skewered pigs when the law comes down on them.
Pass the sick bag, Fred. The only edifying part of this squalid episode is that you’ll think twice about doing it again.
So who are the ones murdering and raping the most?
On a quick scan of recent history as reported in the Fijian media, the answer to your question is iTaukei.
What about the World?
@Slacker as, do you still have any doubts the Israelis, backed by arms and ammunitions from USA.
“As of January 8, 2025, reports indicate that over 47,000 individuals have been killed in the Gaza war, with the majority being Palestinians.
The conflict has also resulted in the deaths of 166 journalists and media workers, 120 academics, and over 224 humanitarian aid workers, including 179 employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). Scholars estimate that approximately 80% of the Palestinian fatalities are civilians, with a significant proportion being women and children.”
You should reserve your vote for Baimaan in the 2026 election. It is people of your mentality who has put this corrupt coalition in government. And we vulagis/kaidias are the victims in Fiji, irrespective of religion.
Please also do a balanced look up of the casualties in wars / fighting in the conflict regions:
Eg Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Iran etc etc unfortunately the list is long.
PS Don’t forget to include the ~1200 mostly civilians murdered on the other side of Gaza – the event that triggered this war in Oct 2024.
Smartypants, I supported FijiFirst and voted for Frank in the elections.
But I supported Israel to defend itself and fight those that attacked the nation.
His guji boss, the “real oligarch” of Fiji, controls everything. Fred just lap dances to his handlers.
I wonder if any of the daily drivel papers in fiji have printed the story about the prisons top gun firing an Indian doctor. This after a racist email was sent to the doctor from another person in the prisons office. This doctor was asked to teach the wife of the top gun and then got fired. The medical association is asking for a response as the wife is a nurse and not a qualified doctor. Journalists here are not doing their job. Meanwhile the government gang including Inia are demanding that the fiji deportees from USA not be sent back. People should read Radodros statement on behalf of SODELPA. Quite a laugh. Imagine they don’t want their own people back.
The doctor was fired because he was incompetent.
When he was needed he was not in prison to see the prisoners forcing the Fiji Corrections Services to take the prisoners to CWM hospital leading to compromised security of these prisoners.
Where the likelihood of contrabands can be passed on and prisoners escaping from custody are very high when they move out of the prison compound.
Nothing on his ethnicity and racism it was due to his incompetence and not doing his work when required. The nurse cannot replace the doctors work. So right now the Fiji Corrections Services is looking to recruit another doctor who is willing to report to duty when required even at odd hours.
Good to know the flip side.
Whats with the ‘kai India’ thingo?
Slckness and not turning up to work on time applies to eveeyone.
Yep incompetent according to the likes of you ..do you have the qualification to make such an allegation…stop trying to cover up the racist trap going on in government bloody idiot. Not turning up for work doesn’t equate to incompetence and where’s the termination letter..none whatsoever ..kilavata mechanisms at work on your expense.
So you must be a doctor to question his competence. When did he become incompetent? What caution/warning was he given? What employemnt procedures were followed. Maybe, no second chance for a vulagi/kaidia.
All kaidia government doctors should get a lesson, they got an employment till a replacement iTaukei is found.
She is not only a nurse but a nurse practitioner.
Most of the nurse practitioners in Fiji are better than the doctors.
They are well trained and hard to come by too.
Sometimes they are much easier to liaise with than the doctors in Fiji who are usually up themselves.
XX Most of the nurse practitioners in Fiji are better than the doctors. XX
Yet they are not medical practitioners.
One suspects there might, just might be a difference.
But what what do the vulagi know, not being god’s chosen people, the part of the lost tribe, not itaukei and all.
They are overstayers in America, outright breaking the law. This mob wants the rules to be bent for the iTaukei, as they do in Fiji. Give them second chance, WTF Fiji style.
Strange that Fred is making this admission now. His and FT’s defence during Trial was to hide behind “freedom of expression” and when that was not working, throw the editor of Nailalaki, the iTaukei newspaper that published the letter to the editor, under the bus. Remember, this man was their very own employee. Has Fred forgotten that the judgment of Justice Rajasinghe is online and available for the world to read? What a dumb bunch of intellectually dishonest morons.
People should read Radodro’s statement on behalf of SODELPA. Quite a laugh. Imagine. They don’t want their own people back. End quote
Such remarks by a government minister demonstrate plain ignorance. Fijian goverment officials seem to have monopolized ignorance to a fine art, rendering ‘competition’ second by a country mile.
That this sexual deviant women beater is leader of a political party is outrageous in itself, is lost on him and another serial adulterer–get this- his ex-father-in-law the prime minister! This so-called party leader gave up the opportunity to shut up but no, he deliberately chose to remove all doubt of his foolishness.
Telling another country how to run their internal policies and goverment is one thing, believing he is intelligent trying to do so is so sad and shameful. The USA government is a behemoth compared to.most of the world with almost infinite resources. Internal security and national interest decisions made are real and decisive. If we care to remember the current U.S. administration made clear their intentions during their election cycle. It did NOT include consulting with any Fijian political party “leader” for crying out loud.
God knows what “preparations” this Sodelpa clowns talks about to “be ready” receive the deportees. Fiji is full of drug dealers, drug addicts, violent criminals, big HIV and other health problems, with prisons full of all kinds of deviants and weirdos — 95% of the incarcerated are itaukei–what’s a few dozen more?
Rejoice, prepare salusalus, prepare mangitis, prepare to.meke. The boys and girls are coming home!
Or may be this demonstrable feckwit monster –er, minister wants to prepare by fixing the CWM hospital elevators.
AS and LT are pandering to their voter-bases. She trying to sue and extradite, he try to shoot the U.S government.
Advice to Aseri — no U.S. government official knows you from a hole in the ground nor will they pay attention to what you say. You are no longer in room 233 babba, where you were “king.”
So be gentle and check with Blinky Bill for proper guidance on public speaking the next time. Blinky the man, the methanol expert, the expert for rape victims well being, “they are well and resting.”
Another idiot comes to mind –the permanent secretary who remarked Australia must give 2000 Fijians with criminal records “a second chance” to work in Australia under the PALM worker scheme. See above about telling another country what to do. PS Nemani should realize entering Australia with a criminal record is no longer a requirement. That was only good during the British colonial rule of Australia.
Then we have minister for ferris wheels taking us all on a merry go-around. Release the report for the sake of the victim and her family, you fool. Stop with the lying. If you want guidance check with Baimaan. Do not fret when Baimaan asks that you “come alone, eh.”
As for Baimaan and aunty titti of FICAC, maybe for another day.
Isa o feeble Fred. Simply out of his depth.
The photograph outside the courts says it all. The dancing monkey Fweddy stands to the back, a sheepish afterthought that he is. Looking meek, guilty, and depressed in front of his puppet masters.
Fwedy knows Fweddy is only a monkey dancer and that the real editor and controller of the toilet times is in Butt street too. But Fweddy well rewarded to play along albeit tightly controlled.
Poor little Fweddy’s every utterance is given to him to parrot. Look again at that photograph- Fweddy looks like the accidental bystander that he is. Free media. Go Fweddy.
If the donkey that Jesus rode into town on that Palm Sunday to the welcome Hosanna accolades of the crowd thought all the attention was on him that donkey, and not on its rider, then Radodro is that ass!