Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has denied claims of political interference in the recent pardoning of George Speight, the leader of the 2000 coup, and Shane Stevens, a former leader of the Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit (CRW). This statement comes after supporters of his political party called for their release during the People’s Alliance campaign meetings in the lead-up to 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 was convicted of treason in 2002 after pleading guilty, and his death sentence was later converted to life imprisonment.
In a media briefing, Mr. Rabuka emphasized the independence of the Mercy Commission, asserting that the decision to pardon the two was made solely by the commission through an established process. He stated, “The People’s Alliance said the 2013 Constitution and its various apparatus will be allowed to operate, and one of those is the prerogative of the Mercy Commission, which works independently of any Government influence.”
He reiterated that the pardoning process was a function of the Mercy Commission, maintaining that it was separate from government or political involvement.