George Speight, the leader of the 2000 coup, has received a Presidential Pardon from the Mercy Commission. In a meeting held yesterday, the Commission assessed mercy petitions submitted by Speight along with six other inmates, including Shane Stevens, the leader of the Counter Revolutionary Warfare group.
Speight was serving a life sentence for treason, while Stevens faced a life sentence for mutiny. The other individuals who received pardons include Sekina Vosavakatini, Nioni Tagici, James Sanjesh Goundar, Adi Livini Radininausori, and John Miller.
Following the Commission’s discussions, recommendations for granting mercy were made, and Fiji’s President, acting under Section 119(5) of the Constitution, officially granted pardons to all petitioners. These pardons were formalized yesterday, leading to the release of the individuals from custody today.
Unfortunately, James Sanjesh Goundar, who died on September 6 at the Minimum Corrections Center, was unable to benefit from the pardon as it came after his passing.