George Speight, the leader of the 2000 coup in Fiji, has received a Presidential Pardon from the Mercy Commission. During its recent meeting, the Commission reviewed mercy petitions submitted by Speight and six other inmates, including Shane Stevens, the leader of the Counter Revolutionary Warfare group.
Speight was serving a life sentence for treason, while Stevens was serving a life sentence for mutiny. The other inmates reviewed include Sekina Vosavakatini, Nioni Tagici, James Sanjesh Goundar, Adi Livini Radininausori, and John Miller.
Following the Commission’s discussions, recommendations for mercy were made, leading to the President of Fiji granting pardons under Section 119(5) of the Constitution. These pardons were officially conferred yesterday, allowing the individuals to be discharged from custody today.
Regrettably, James Sanjesh Goundar, who passed away on September 6 at the Minimum Corrections Center, was not able to receive the pardon in time.