8 Feb 2008

Fiji's interim attorney general not saying whether he'll stop IBA panel entering country

3:14 pm on 8 February 2008

Fiji's interim Attorney-General, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum is refusing to say whether he would allow a panel of lawyers from the International Bar Association or IBA into the country.

He has said they are not welcome this month or next because their presence could influence several legal cases before the courts.

This includes the tribunal, hearing charges against Fiji's suspended chief justice, Daniel Fatiaki.

The Attorney General has attacked the IBA for the limited range of people it planned to talk to and raised fears that the group's presence would be exploited by the media which he accuses of bias.

He says he does not want to speculate on what action would be taken if the IBA group turned up in Fiji.

"They have given a date, the 18th of Frebruary I think, to turn up in Fiji. I mean they could change that, they might be here tomorrow, I don't know.Let's see what happens and if they do turn up or they don't turn up. What I am saying is let's be rational about it."