Gagged former Fonterra director says her reputation sullied

Former Fonterra director Leonie Guiney. Photo / Otago Daily Times

Gagged former Fonterra director Leonie Guiney says her reputation has been "inaccurately sullied" and she's looking to Fonterra to fix the situation.

Guiney, who left the board of the dairy cooperative last year, was named in a recent High Court injunction sought by Fonterra, along with a rural publication and other unnamed media, including the Herald.

The court orders restrained NZX Rural Limited from using, publishing or disseminating confidential information received from Guiney, and restrained Guiney "from breaching her duties of confidentiality" to Fonterra.

Other media are also prevented from using or publishing any confidential information they may have received from Guiney.

The injunction is in place until the determination of substantive issues.

The court offered hearing dates around now for that determination, but Fonterra's lawyers Chapman Tripp said no papers had been filed in defence so no hearings were scheduled.

The injunction was still in place.

Approached by the Herald on her plans, Guiney agreed she had not contested the injunction, but was looking to Fonterra to make amends.

"My reputation has been inaccurately sullied - I have invited Fonterra to rectify that."

She declined to elaborate.

A Fonterra spokesman said as the matter was before the court Fonterra could not comment.

Guiney is a South Canterbury dairy farmer who was elected by Fonterra's farmer-shareholders to the board of New Zealand's biggest company in 2014.

She made clear her disappointment about not being invited under Fonterra's director selection process to stand for a second term last year.

In an email to Fonterra's farmer-owners after the injunction, Fonterra's board said the urgent injunction was "to prevent the publication of what we believe to be leaked and misrepresented details of board discussions, supplied to the media by a former Fonterra director".