Fiji Corrections Service (FCS) Commissioner Jalesi Nakarawa stated yesterday that there is no legal barrier preventing George Speight from seeking clemency. Speight, who played a prominent role in the 2000 coup, along with former Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit leader Shane Stevens, was among seven individuals who received a Presidential Pardon last Thursday.
Speight was charged with treason and pleaded guilty in 2001; his death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in 2002. He has spent nearly 24 years in prison, including time on Nukulau Island and at the Naboro Corrections Complex, and has no prior convictions.
“People have suggested that Speight has been granted clemency twice, but the law does not prevent him from applying for mercy,” Mr. Nakarawa explained. He clarified that the circumstances surrounding the first pardon were different, as it was not a direct application from Speight but rather a legal remedy at that time. The court intervened in a legal gray area to address the absence of executions since the 1960s while the government was in the process of abolishing the death penalty.
“The Cabinet had approved the abolition, but it had not yet reached Parliament, which led to that ruling,” he added. “The belief that he has received two pardons is inaccurate. The ultimate decision rests with the Mercy Commission.”
Mr. Nakarawa noted that both Speight and Stevens were emotional upon learning of their pardon. “They expressed a desire to rebuild their lives and talked about starting businesses, having learned a great deal during their incarceration,” he said. “Their emotional reactions were understandable given the length of time they have been in prison.”
He urged the public to recognize the efforts of the agency to fulfill its duties effectively, emphasizing that processes are managed according to the law, despite differing opinions.