Former FijiFirst candidate and teacher Elaine Chandra has testified via Zoom from Australia that she was harassed by Duavata News Editor Arnold Chanel through articles published about her and a visit he made to her home with a bailiff.
Chandra made the claims while giving evidence in the $1 million defamation lawsuit filed against her by Chanel.
She denies Chanel's testimony yesterday that she slapped him during an encounter in Navua on 4th June last year.
Chandra says she did not hit Chanel but was trying to push his phone away because she was tired of him recording her.
She also claims she slipped during the encounter as papers were being thrown at her.
When questioned by her lawyer, Mohammed Saneem on whether Duavata News had approached her for comments before publishing an article titled "Bullies attack brave Damodar", Chandra says she was never contacted for comments.
She maintains that she had nothing to do with the matter.
Chanel's lawyer, Kunal Singh raised concerns about prejudice, arguing that these questions had not been put to his client for clarification.
Chandra further claims that the video recorded by Chanel was also shared on Fiji Transparency and TikTok Fiji.
Singh objected as these videos were not disclosed to them.
When asked how the video was shared on these platforms, Chandra says she believes Chanel must have shared it because he was the person who recorded it.
The matter has been adjourned to 18th and 19th January 2027 for the continuation of the hearing.
