A GROUP of teachers from Ba and Tavua who were with FijiFirst party candidate Hem Chand in Ba earlier this week have denied they were attending a political meeting.
The civil servants claimed the gathering was to discuss a function for retiring teachers.
A team from this newspaper captured Mr Chand on Thursday afternoon arriving at the home of a senior education officer, where a group of teachers had gathered.
The teachers included two heads of schools.
The FijiFirst candidate arrived at the residence in a Black Toyota Prius and this was captured on video.
A short while after his arrival The Fiji Times spoke to the senior education officer from outside the gate of her home but she denied Mr Chand was in her house.
“No he is not here, I am telling you,” she said.
“He is not here. We are having a meeting with the heads of schools. There are only heads of schools here. Nobody else.”
She insisted Mr Chand was not inside her house despite being shown videos and images of the FijiFirst candidate entering the property.
She said she called the meeting of heads of schools at her residence to discuss a retiree’s party that would be held at Away’s Restaurant in Ba on Friday evening. She said Mr Chand was not part of the meeting, and this was also after she was shown images of him entering her home.
Meanwhile, on Friday, this newspaper approached Mr Chand at his home in Saweni, Lautoka, where he confirmed that he was at the meeting with the teachers.
He said he would make further comments on the issue after December 14.
The two head teachers confirmed attending the meeting but said it was not a political meeting.
- Questions sent to the Ministry of Education on Friday and again yesterday remain unanswered when this edition went to press.
