Fiji Corrections Service Commissioner Jalesi Nakarawa stated yesterday that there are no legal barriers preventing George Speight from seeking a mercy application. Speight, a key figure in the 2000 coup, along with former Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit leader Shane Stevens, was among seven individuals granted a Presidential Pardon last Thursday.
Speight was charged with treason and, after pleading guilty in 2001, was sentenced to death, a penalty that was commuted to life imprisonment in 2002. He has now spent 24 years, one month, and 23 days, totaling 8,820 days, in various correctional facilities, including Nukulau Island and Naboro Corrections Complex, and he has no prior convictions.
Mr. Nakarawa emphasized that discussions surrounding Speight’s potential for twice receiving a pardon are misleading, clarifying that there are no legal constraints against him applying for mercy. He explained that the first pardon was based on a legal redress rather than an actual application from Speight, noting that historical context played a significant role since no one had faced a death sentence in Fiji since the 1960s, even though the death penalty was still legislated at the time.
He added that the Cabinet had approved the repeal of the death penalty, which had not yet been addressed in Parliament, resulting in a court ruling that exploited a legal loophole. “The final decision lies with the Mercy Commission,” Nakarawa stated.
He revealed that both Speight and Stevens were emotional upon learning of their pardon last Thursday, expressing their intentions to rebuild their lives and explore business opportunities utilizing the skills they acquired during their incarceration. “They were emotional and happy because it has been quite a long time,” he remarked.
Mr. Nakarawa concluded by urging the public to trust that the corrections service is striving to fulfill its responsibilities within legal parameters, acknowledging that while opinions may vary, the agency processes matters in adherence to the law.