George Speight, the leader of the 2000 coup, has been granted a Presidential Pardon by the Mercy Commission. During a meeting yesterday, the Commission reviewed mercy petitions submitted by Speight and six other inmates, including Shane Stevens, the leader of the Counter Revolutionary Warfare (CRW) group.
Speight was serving a life sentence for treason, while Stevens was sentenced to life for mutiny. The other inmates considered for pardons were Sekina Vosavakatini, Nioni Tagici, James Sanjesh Goundar, Adi Livini Radininausori, and John Miller. Following their discussions, the Commission recommended mercy, which was approved by the President of Fiji under Section 119(5) of the Constitution.
These pardons were officially granted yesterday, leading to the release of the individuals from custody today. However, James Sanjesh Goundar, who died on September 6 at the Minimum Corrections Center, did not benefit from the pardon in time.