Fijian Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) board chairman Sashi Singh has challenged the National Federation Party leader, Biman Prasad, to stop hiding behind Parliamentary privilege unless he has guts to repeat the same statements outside Parliament.

His comments were made during the announcement that FBC paid off their 15-year term loan to Fiji Development Bank three-years before it was due.

Parliamentary privilege

Mr Singh said: “The latest example of smear against the FBC took place once again under protection of parliamentary privilege a few weeks ago when the leader of the National Federation Party saw it fit to perpetuate unwarranted affronts against the FBC CEO who has astutely led the FBC’s revival for more than a decade.

“Biman Prasad incorrectly advised the Fijian Parliament that the Attorney-General appointed Riyaz Sayed-Khaiyum to the position of CEO of FBC. The FBC board wishes to once again clarify that the appointment of the FBC CEO Riyaz Sayed-Khaiyum was done by an independent board under the then chairmanship of Daniel Whippy, who had explicitly stated this fact after similar fabricated narratives were peddled by certain politicians in the past.

Riyaz Sayed-Khaiyum

“It should be noted that Riyaz Sayed-Khaiyum was appointed by the board after being shortlisted and going through two very rigorous interview panels.

“He was selected as the top contender for the job because he was the most suitable applicant for the position.

“It seems that Mr Prasad and others like him have conveniently forgotten the former FBC chairman’s statements or are ignoring them for the sake of political expediency.

“In fact, we very much doubt that Mr Prasad is intrepid enough to cast such nonsensical vilifications about the FBC without parliamentary privilege.”

Former politician Mick Beddoes has also made public a conversation between him and Mr Whippy that the former was not pressured at all to hire Mr Sayed-Khaiyum.

NFP leader Biman Prasad has refused to comment.