8 Aug 2006

Fiji's Digicel undecided over deal with Ba Provincial Holdings after sacked CEO arrested

5:56 pm on 8 August 2006

A company associated with Fiji's Ba Provincial Holdings is yet to decide its future plans after the former chief executive, Isimeli Bose, was arrested for assault.

Mavis Gaunavou has more.

"The company, Digicel, is an international telecommunications provider with a provisional licence to operate in Fiji. It had a memorandum of understanding with Ba Provincial Holdings but their new board suspended all business transactions negotiated by their former CEO after he stormed the premises."

An executive of Digicel, Thomas Underwood, says there are other companies interested in pursuing business ventures with it.

He says Digicel does not want to get involved in provincial politics and is still unsure about its next move.

Mr Underwood says that since the government allocated the company's provisional licence, they will have to go back to the government and wait on its decision about whether it will permit a merger to proceed.

Mr Underwood would not comment on reports that Yasawa Holdings, a major shareholder in Fiji TV, is interested in a deal.