George Speight, who led a coup in 2000, has received a Presidential Pardon from the Mercy Commission. During its meeting yesterday, the Commission reviewed mercy petitions submitted by Speight along with six other inmates, including Shane Stevens, the leader of the Counter Revolutionary Warfare (CRW) group.
Speight had been serving a life sentence for treason, while Stevens was imprisoned for mutiny. The other individuals granted pardons are Sekina Vosavakatini, Nioni Tagici, James Sanjesh Goundar, Adi Livini Radininausori, and John Miller.
Following the Commission’s discussions, recommendations for mercy were made, and the President of Fiji, in accordance with Section 119(5) of the Constitution, granted pardons to all involved. These pardons were officially issued yesterday, leading to the immediate release of the individuals from custody today.
However, James Sanjesh Goundar, who passed away on September 6 while incarcerated at the Minimum Corrections Center, was not able to benefit from the pardon.