Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has dismissed claims of political interference in the decision to pardon George Speight, the leader of the 2000 coup, and Shane Stevens, the former head of the Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit (CRW).
An inquiry was made by this newspaper after supporters of Rabuka’s political party had publicly called for their release during campaign meetings for 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 charged with treason and was convicted after pleading guilty in 2002, with his death sentence later changed to life imprisonment.
In a media statement yesterday, Rabuka emphasized that the Mercy Commission operates independently, and the pardoning of the two men was solely at the discretion of the commission, following the appropriate procedures.
“The People’s Alliance affirmed that the 2013 Constitution and its various mechanisms will function without interference, including the prerogative of the Mercy Commission, which operates independently from government influence,” Rabuka stated.
He added, “The Mercy Commission’s decisions are its own and have no ties to anyone in government or political affairs.”