Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has dismissed claims of political influence regarding the pardoning of George Speight, leader of the 2000 coup, and former Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit leader Shane Stevens.
This response follows inquiries about the pardons after supporters of his political party called for their release during campaign meetings for the People’s Alliance leading up to the 2022 General Election, with the latest discussion occurring on September 13.
Speight and Stevens were among seven individuals granted a Presidential Pardon last Thursday. Speight was convicted of treason in 2002 after pleading guilty, and his death sentence was subsequently changed to life imprisonment.
In a press conference yesterday, Mr. Rabuka emphasized the independence of the Mercy Commission, stating that the pardons were awarded based solely on the commission’s established procedures, free from government influence.
“The People’s Alliance stated that the 2013 Constitution and its various mechanisms will be upheld, including the Mercy Commission, which operates independently of government interference,” Mr. Rabuka noted.
“It was strictly the prerogative of the Mercy Commission,” he reiterated. “There was no involvement from anyone in Government or politics.”