Khan claimed to us that he was being paid by some politicians to put up fake news and anti-government posts – Riyaz Sayed-Khaiyum

The Fijian Broadcasting Corporation has today claimed that Ferrel Khan who is being investigated by Police for alleged cybercrime had approached them on the 6th of February.

While addressing allegations made against FBC by Khan in a social media post, FBC CEO Riyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says Khan had told them that he was one of the admins of the Facebook page, Fiji Exposed Forum and wanted to use the FBC news link on their page.

Riyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says that they were intrigued and he met with him with two of the managers of the FBC.

He further says that Khan told them his name, showed his FNPF ID Card and told them that he was a software engineer who had previously worked for both Digicel and Vodafone and he had also spent time in prison.

Sayed-Khaiyum says that Khan made allegations and wanted to stop posting negative stories about FBC on the Fiji Exposed Forum adding they found this hard to believe.

He says that he also asked Khan if they could record their conversation.

Sayed-Khaiyum also played the audio clips of Khan.

Riyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says Khan told them the information for anti-government posts were provided by political parties and the parties got the information from civil servants.

Sayed-Khaiyum says that Khan claimed that they were also paid by the political parties.

He adds that Khan agreed to provide recorded and documentary evidence and also signed a statutory declaration in the presence of a lawyer.

Sayed-Khaiyum further says that Khan did not deliver any evidence but did occasionally message them to say that he had gathered some evidence via videos.

He says they wanted to see concrete proof before they did a story.

Sayed-Khaiyum adds that when they did not get anything from Khan, they handed the recordings and statutory declaration to Police.

When questioned if they had provided Khan any recording device, Sayed-Khaiyum says that they did provide him with a pen that had a camera in it as he had wanted a recording device.

He says that Khan had approached them a day or two after and said that the device was not working.

Khan had alleged on social media yesterday that Riyaz Sayed-Khaiyum offered spy cams to get video footage of his involvement with the opposition.

[image: Ferrel Khan/Facebook]

Khan had also alleged that when he declined, threats started.

Meanwhile, Police have said that the investigation against Khan is ongoing.

National Federation Party Leader, Professor Biman Prasad had earlier denied that a person by the facebook name Ferrel Khan was allegedly being paid by the NFP to put up fake news on coordinated facebook pages like Fiji Exposed Forum however Prasad says the person was going to the NFP office in Lautoka during the 2018 general elections.

Professor Prasad had also confirmed that the man had visited the offices of NFP and SODELPA however he says they made no payments for the work that he is alleged to have done.