The Commissioner of the Fiji Corrections Service, Jalesi Nakarawa, stated that there are no legal barriers preventing George Speight from submitting a mercy application. Speight, who played a pivotal role in the 2000 coup, along with former Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit leader Shane Stevens, was among the seven individuals who received a Presidential Pardon last Thursday.
Speight was charged with treason and pleaded guilty in 2001, subsequently receiving a death sentence that was commuted to life imprisonment in 2002. Having served 24 years, one month, and 23 days—equivalent to 8,820 days—Speight has no prior criminal convictions and was held at Nukulau Island and the Naboro Corrections Complex.
Nakarawa remarked that while discussions about Speight being pardoned twice are ongoing, legally, he is allowed to seek mercy. He clarified that the context of the first pardon was distinct; it did not stem from a petition by Speight but was a matter of legal adjustment at that time. The death penalty was still technically enforceable, even though the government was poised to abolish it, and the necessary legislative changes had not yet been enacted.
“The final decision lies with the Mercy Commission,” Nakarawa emphasized. He also shared that Speight and Stevens were emotional upon learning about their pardon, expressing a desire to reintegrate into society and start businesses, having acquired valuable insights during their incarceration.
“They were emotional and happy, especially considering the length of time they have spent in prison,” he noted, urging the public to recognize the efforts of the corrections service to act within the law, despite varying opinions on the matter.