A senior civil servant was the first prosecution witness to take the stand in the Fiji Times sedition trial which has ended its second day.
Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
The Fiji Times, its publisher, two editors and a contributor are before the High Court in Suva over an allegedly seditious article published in the newspaper's Fijian language supplement in 2016.
The Permanent Secretary for i-Taukei Affairs, Naipote Katonitabua, has been questioned over his concerns about the article in Nai Lalakai and the action he took after seeing it.
Fiji VIllage reported at the opening of the prosecution's case on Monday the Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, Lee Burney, told the three assessors their judgement would be about whether words in the paper would cause ill will to the Muslim community in Fiji.
He said the words in the article were poisonous.
The Fiji Times, its publisher Hank Arts and contributor, Josaia Waqabaca, have pleaded not guilty to sedition.
The Times editor Fred Wesley and Nai Lalakai editor Anare Ravula have pleaded not guilty to aiding and abetting sedition.