Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has denied claims of political interference in the pardoning of George Speight, the leader of the 2000 coup, and former Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit (CRW) leader Shane Stevens.
This clarification comes after supporters of his political party called for their release during campaign meetings of 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 charged with treason in 2002 and initially sentenced to death, but his sentence was later reduced to life imprisonment.
During a media briefing, Mr. Rabuka emphasized that the Mercy Commission operates independently and that the pardons were granted through the commission’s due process.
“The People’s Alliance stated that the 2013 Constitution and its various mechanisms would function as intended, one of which is the prerogative of the Mercy Commission, which acts independently of government influence,” Mr. Rabuka explained.
He reiterated, “It was the functioning prerogative of the Mercy Commission,” adding that it had “nothing to do with anyone in Government or politics.”