There is more confusion now with the Director of Public Prosecutions now coming out and saying that he never released any press statement yesterday about his lawyers being threatened by the Assistant Police Commissioner Crime, Nazir Ali.
In a statement late yesterday, the DPP Josaia Naigulevu categorically denied authorising any press release which said that the DPP's office was threatened.
In an earlier statement released with the official letterhead of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the DPP's office alleged that its lawyers were threatened with arrest and criminal charges and the independence of the DPP's Office has been interfered with.
The office claimed that there was inappropriate or unwarranted interference in the working of the Office of the DPP by Assistant Commissioner of Police Crime Nasir Ali and his team of investigators.
It is alleged in the statement, that threats of arrest and criminal charges for attempting to pervert the cause of justice were leveled against the lawyers in the DPP's Office earlier this week.
The DPP states that they view these threats as serious and a direct attack on the independence of the Office of the DPP and cautions those involved.
It was earlier confirmed by the DPP Josaia Naigulevu and his Assistant Asishna Prasad that they did not receive any such threats.
We are now trying to speak to the DPP on who issued the statement early yesterday afternoon which claimed that some DPP lawyers were threatened by the police. This follows his denial late yesterday that he did not authorise the release of the statement.
Meanwhile Police Commissioner, Commodore Esala Teleni said he has been having regular meetings with the DPP and has always sought his legal advise.
Commissioner Teleni said he is not worried about who released the first statement from the DPP's office which alleged that the police had threatened some lawyers.
