UniFiji formally lodges complaint with Online Safety Commission regarding personal and racist attacks

UniFiji formally lodges complaint with Online Safety Commission regarding personal and racist attacks

By Alipate Narawa
21/01/2025
Uni Fiji Vice Chancellor Professor Shaista Shameem

The University of Fiji has lodged a complaint against individuals from an educational institution disseminating false information designed to discredit the University of Fiji, including via a personal and racist attack against Vice Chancellor, Professor Shaista Shameem.

Professor Shameem says the complaint will be lodged formally this hour with the Online Safety Commission with evidence provided of the online trolling by these individuals and the institution where one of them is a senior employee.

She says she was grateful for the guidelines provided by the Commission.

The Vice Chancellor says, as a lawyer herself, she has also carefully examined the provisions of the Online Safety Act, the False Information Act and the absolute liability provisions of the Crimes Act as all are related in the offence of trolling.

She says the information trolled in the emails sent out to 184 named people including those in high office, was false.

Prof. Shameem says it was disseminated hundreds of times over with the malicious intention of causing harm to the University and its Vice Chancellor.

She says most of those to whom the false information and racist remarks were disseminated did not dissociate themselves from the communication, hence they are regarded by the University as colluding in the offences.

The Vice Chancellor says she has provided the list of names and contact email addresses of those colluding to the Commission's investigators.

She says many are well-known public figures, "at the top" but she is confident that the Commission will investigate all of them without fear or favour.

Prof. Shameem adds the University will vigorously pursue its complaint as trolling is a criminal offence and no one, high or low, who targets the University or any of its officers, is exempt from the long arm of the law.

FEATURE NEWS
Body found along Princes Road near Sawani this morning
A body was found along Princes Road near Sawani this morning. Body found along Princes Road near Sawani this morninghttps://t.co/M26cZY2reC pic.twi...
3 hours ago
LATEST NEWS
New documentary sheds light on girmitiyas in Fiji
A powerful new documentary, GIRMIT: The Fields of Sadness, brings to light the untold stories of the Indian indentured labourers —known as ...
49 minutes ago

FHL Group conducts clean-up campaign along Suva foreshore
Staff from Fijian Holdings Limited (FHL) and its subsidiaries- Merchant Finance Limited, FHL Properties Limited, and Fijian Holdings Unit Trust— ...
1 hour ago

Woman raises concerns about safety and security in neighbourhoods after stoning of the car she was driving
A woman is raising concerns about the safety and security in our neighbourhoods after the rental car she was driving was stoned and broken into at ...
1 hour ago

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints members celebrate diversity of culture, marking 70th Anniversary
Hundreds of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came together at the FMF Gymnasium last night to celebrate the different ...
1 hour ago

47 families in Narere PRB Estate handed offer letters to become official homeowners
47 families living in the PRB Estate in Narere were filled with joy and emotions after they were handed their offer letters from the Public Rental ...
1 hour ago



fijivillage Straight Talk with Vijay Narayan
Latest Videos

Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations

CFL radio frequencies
IN DEPTH

Tragedy at PRB Flats: Couple found dead in suspected murder-suicide in April
A couple were found dead at the new Lagilagi Public Rental Board Flats today and it is alleged at this stage that it was a murder suicide case on ...
12 days ago

Tevita Ikanivere on fijivillage Straight Talk With Vijay Narayan
The show focuses on Ikanivere’s journey, his family, career and how far the Drua has ...
25 days ago

TOP