A THIRD newspaper publisher was ordered out of the country by the interim Government in less than a year under unclear motives.

Fiji Times Limited publisher and acting CEO Rex Gardner was declared a prohibited immigrant yesterday, less than nine months after his predecessor Evan Hannah was deported under the same immigration laws.

Russell Hunter was also deported on February 25 last year while employed as the publisher of the Fiji Sun newspaper.

Mr Gardner was handed the Removal Order at his office yesterday which was signed on Friday by the permanent secretary for Defence, National Security and Immigration, Peniame Naqasima.

The order was served on Mr Gardner by senior immigration officer Joe Ravatudei, who also handed Mr Hannah his Removal Order on May 1 last year.

Mr Gardner was scheduled to meet Immigration officers at PricewaterhouseCoopers yesterday afternoon, but they failed to turn up. Mr Gardner, whose work permit expires next month, returned to his office where he was later visited by immigration officers.

Mr Gardner was allowed to work in Fiji under Section 9(2)c of the Immigration Act of 2003.

Yesterday he was classified as a prohibited immigrant under section 13(2)g of the same law.

"They paid a visit tonight and they told me I had the marching orders and I'm doing it, I'm off, quite peacefully without any fuss," said Mr Gardner.

"I was actually going back to Australia on Saturday and I told the Immigration people I was quite happy to go back. But they said, 'no, tomorrow'."

Mr Gardner said he found it beyond reasonable limits if his Removal Order was based on a Fiji Times court case last week.

On Thursday, Fiji Times Limited was fined $100,000 for contempt of court.

Mr Gardner was discharged but put on a good behaviour bond for 12 months.

Fiji Times editor-in-chief Netani Rika was sentenced to three months in jail suspended for two years.

"The charges against me were dismissed," Mr Gardner said.

"I'm leaving now. It has been a wonderful experience and nice knowing everybody. I got a piece of reading paper that says leave the country, and that's what I'm doing I'm leaving the country."

Mr Gardner said he was given "an obscure clause of an Act" when he asked for the reason for his removal.

He flies out of the country today.