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Issue No: 1010; 11 August 2001
The Merchant Bank of Fiji has seized numerous buses owned by the Eastern Express Buses Ltd. The bus company has been in financial difficulties for long. Earlier in the year, the company went on a strike claiming bad road conditions. It was later revealed that the strike was to twist the arm of the state to bail it out of its financial mess. (see: http://www.pcgov.org.fj/hot_press/no671.htm ). The Merchant Bank has stated that its staff have thoroughly checked the bus numbers against the chassis and engine numbers because of suspicions that the company may have changed the number plates of the buses. The company has been a strong supporter of the National Federation Party. One of NFP's members of parliament in Vanua Levu is associated with the bus company. The same person has been reported to be a major supporter of the destabilisation of the elected government last year. The NFP dropped him from its election lineup this year reportedly on account of the person's support for the terrorists. He, however, continues to support the NFP. Ironically the Merchant Bank of Fiji belongs to the Fijian
Holdings Ltd, another company which has reportedly financed the terrorists and
which continues to finance Qarase's political party. |
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People's Coalition Government - Fiji Islands |
