George Speight prioritized family after being released from prison, where he spent 24 years. Convicted of treason as the leader of the 2000 coup, he had been serving a life sentence until he received a presidential pardon last Thursday. Following his release, he avoided the media while waiting for his older brother, Sam Speight, to arrive from Hamilton, New Zealand. Sam reached Fiji on Friday.
Describing the emotional reunion, niece Jacqueline Speight expressed, “Reunited after 24 long years, the brothers come together in freedom, celebrating the love, memories, and unbreakable bond that time can’t erase.” She added, “It is family first. A season of gratitude.”
Jacqueline shared her surprise at the unexpected turn of events, saying, “No one could have scripted what happened on Thursday. It will forever be etched in my mind and heart. Praise God indeed.”
George Speight’s younger siblings, Jim, Esther, and Salome, reside abroad, along with their 93-year-old father, Sam Speight Sr. His relatives in Naivicula, Wainibuka, Tailevu are also eager to meet him. One family member, who preferred not to be named, remarked, “He went in when he was 43, and he is returning home now at 67. We’re looking forward to meeting him.”