Nauru blasts ABC 7:30 as biased - conspiring to destabilise Govt.
The Government of Nauru has
demanded an apology from the ABC's 7:30 program for its
"appallingly dishonest and biased" report last night of alleged
corruption in Nauru and claims that a senior Government MP and
father of seven attempted to hinder investigations into the death
of his wife.
Justice Minister David Adeang said he was "offended and
speechless" at the program's insensitive questioning of his wife's
accidental death which left him and his children traumatised,
labelling it "a new low in Australian journalism".
Noting that the program was based solely on six-year-old baseless
and disproved claims as well as the allegations of disgruntled
former government employees, Mr Adeang said the ABC was either
"being used by or conspiring with the Nauru Opposition to
destabilise the Government of Nauru".
"It is unprecedented for an Australian media organisation to
interfere in the domestic politics of another country.
"The Australian Government, which funds the ABC, should launch an
immediate investigation into this disgusting and unethical report
and the relationship between these journalists and the Nauru
Opposition."
He said the Government gave 7:30 a detailed response to their
questions, yet this was not aired, "which only proves its
bias".
The claims made by the program are old, having been aired in the
Nauru Parliament in 2009 when current president Baron Waqa and Mr
Adeang were in Opposition. The president at the time, Marcus
Stephen - who subsequently resigned over corruption allegations -
did not pursue the claims as there was no basis to them.
"We were elected to clean up the corruption and cronyism of the
former government, and we did just that. Now all those people who
were beneficiaries of this former corruption and have now lost
their money, power and influence have conned some gullible ABC
journalists into supporting them."
Mr Adeang said the embittered involvement in the report of the
country's former chief justice and former magistrate, who are both
Australians, suggested it was time for both of them to accept that
they have lost the perks and cosy relationships they enjoyed under
the former government, and move on.
The minister said the untrue and personal nature of the story
means it is likely he will take defamation action against the ABC
and those involved.