George Speight, the leader of the 2000 coup, has been granted a presidential pardon by the Mercy Commission. The Commission convened yesterday to review mercy petitions submitted by Speight and six other inmates, including Shane Stevens, the leader of the Counter Revolutionary Warfare (CRW). Speight had been serving a life sentence for treason, while Stevens was serving a life sentence for mutiny.
The other individuals included in the pardon are Sekina Vosavakatini, Nioni Tagici, James Sanjesh Goundar, Adi Livini Radininausori, and John Miller. Following discussions, the Commission made recommendations for mercy, leading to His Excellency, the President of Fiji, granting pardons under Section 119(5) of the Constitution. These pardons were formally issued yesterday, resulting in the official release of the named individuals today.
Regrettably, the pardon came too late for James Sanjesh Goundar, who passed away on September 6 while at the Minimum Corrections Center.