Fiji Corrections Service (FCS) Commissioner Jalesi Nakarawa stated that there are no legal barriers preventing George Speight from seeking a pardon. Speight, the mastermind behind the 2000 coup, along with former Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit leader Shane Stevens, was among the seven individuals granted a Presidential Pardon last Thursday.
In 2001, Speight was charged with treason and subsequently pleaded guilty. His death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in 2002. He has served 24 years, one month, and 23 days, totaling 8,820 days, in custody on Nukulau Island and at the Naboro Corrections Complex, with no prior convictions.
Nakarawa addressed the misconception that Speight has received two pardons, clarifying that the first pardon was not initiated by Speight himself but was a result of a legal redress given the circumstances at the time. He explained that since the 1960s, no one had received a death sentence in Fiji, and although the death penalty was still legally on the books, the government was moving towards its abolition.
“The Cabinet had approved the abolition, but it hadn’t been presented to Parliament, leading to the court’s intervention due to a legal loophole. Therefore, the understanding that he was pardoned twice is incorrect,” Nakarawa emphasized.
He confirmed that the ultimate decision regarding Speight’s situation rests with the Mercy Commission. After learning of their pardon, both Speight and Stevens reacted emotionally, expressing their hopes to rebuild their lives and start businesses, having gained valuable insights during their time in prison.
“They were emotional and happy, especially considering how long they have been incarcerated,” Nakarawa noted.
He urged the public to understand that the corrections service is committed to performing its duties within the bounds of the law, even amid differing opinions.