Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has dismissed claims of political interference regarding the pardons granted to George Speight, the leader of the 2000 coup, and Shane Stevens, a former leader of the Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit (CRW).
This inquiry arose after supporters of Rabuka’s political party voiced their calls for the release of Speight and Stevens during campaign meetings of the People’s Alliance ahead of the 2022 General Election, with the latest discussion occurring on September 13.
Speight and Stevens were among seven individuals who received a Presidential Pardon last Thursday. Speight had been convicted of treason in 2002 after pleading guilty, with his death sentence later changed to life imprisonment.
In a media briefing yesterday, Rabuka emphasized that the Mercy Commission operates independently, and the pardoning of the two men was entirely within the commission’s authority, following due process.
“The People’s Alliance stated that the 2013 Constitution and its various mechanisms will function without interference, including the prerogative of the Mercy Commission, which operates independently of government influence,” Rabuka stated.
He asserted, “This was solely the prerogative of the Mercy Commission. It had nothing to do with anyone in government or politics.”