Lawsuit
It was announced on 5 September 2006 that Chand was suing the Fiji Times for what he claimed was a defamatory report on the front page of the newspaper, on 26 August 2000. The report claimed that police were investigating his alleged involvement in the theft of government property, including furniture, from his office. Chand told the High Court in Suva that he knew nothing of any investigation until reading the allegations in the Times. Police had questioned him and searched his home, from which some items had also been stolen, he said, but he did not consider that to constitute a police investigation.
Times counsel Ian Roche told the court on 21 September 2006 that the report had been "accurate" and in the public interest. Justice Gwen Philips adjourned the case to 3 November, the Times reported.
Chand is seeking F$150,000 in damages and a further F$75,000 in aggravated damages, and a court order to prevent further defamation. He is also demanding a front-page apology in Fiji's three daily newspapers.Judgment was delivered in early 2007 in favour of the Fiji Times.
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