Communications Minister Renbo Paita has been asked to determine whether EMTV’s Head of News and Current Affairs, Neville Choi, was unnecessarily sacked.
This was confirmed this afternoon by Prime Minister James Marape amidst concerns raised in the country and wider Pacific region following Choi’s termination on Monday this week.
EMTV in an issued statement cited Mr. Choi’s defiance of a KTH and KCHL Board Directive to terminate Deputy Head of News, Scott Waide, during APEC 2018 as part of reasons for the news boss' termination.
Other reasons include defying a directive not to air a story on the PNGDF pay strike outside the Prime Minister’s office in 2018, taking unapproved leave to attend a censorship board meeting as Head of News and President of the Media Council and for disclosing confidential management discussions about staff.
But all of this according to the Prime Minister will be established by Minister Paita.
"I've asked the Communication Minister to carry out a full inquiry into this. If there is any truth in him being sacked unnecessarily than I've asked that he be restored but if it is truly a disciplinary matter then it qualifies for such and is beyond my control," said the Prime Minister.
Meantime the EMTV News division has since called for Choi to be reinstated, and for EMTV's Acting CEO Ms. Sheena Hughes, to be sidelined, for an action which they claim has ‘brought EMTV News into disrepute.’
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