Two Sunday Independent executives allegedly involved in a brawl in the newsroom on Friday will be interviewed separately by management today as part of a company investigation.
The newspaper's editor, Mr Aengus Fanning, is alleged to have attacked the operations editor, Mr Campbell Spray, punching and wrestling him to the ground. A spokesman for the National Union of Journalists confirmed last night that today's meetings were part of a normal investigation into incidents of this nature.
It is understood that Mr Spray will be accompanied by an NUJ representative. The management team at today's meetings will include the company's human resources director, Mr Declan Carlyle.
A spokesman for Independent News and Media was unavailable for comment last night.
The timing of the alleged incident is an embarrassment for the newspaper which is awaiting a verdict from the Employment Appeals Tribunal in a case taken by its former crime correspondent, Ms Liz Allen.
Ms Allen claimed constructive dismissal at a tribunal hearing last April, saying bullying and harassment by editorial staff had forced her to resign. Judgement was reserved.