Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has dismissed claims of political interference regarding the pardoning of George Speight, the leader of the 2000 coup, and Shane Stevens, the former leader of the Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit (CRW).
This topic arose after members of Rabuka’s political party publicly called for the two men’s 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.
Last Thursday, Speight and Stevens were among seven individuals granted a Presidential Pardon. Speight had been charged with treason and had pleaded guilty in 2002, leading to a death sentence that was later commuted to life imprisonment.
In a media statement yesterday, Rabuka emphasized that the Mercy Commission operates independently and that the decision to pardon these individuals was made entirely through the commission’s due process.
“The People’s Alliance stated that the 2013 Constitution and its various mechanisms will function independently, including the prerogative of the Mercy Commission, which is not influenced by the Government,” Rabuka remarked.
He further clarified, “The decision was purely the responsibility of the Mercy Commission and had nothing to do with anyone in Government or politics.”