Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has dismissed claims of political interference regarding the pardoning of George Speight, the leader of the 2000 coup, and former Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit leader Shane Stevens.
This inquiry comes after supporters of Rabuka’s political party openly called for their release during the People’s Alliance campaign events leading to the 2022 General Election, with the latest discussions occurring on September 13.
Speight and Stevens were among seven individuals who received Presidential Pardons last Thursday. Speight was convicted of treason in 2002 after pleading guilty and had his death sentence commuted to life imprisonment.
Speaking to the media, Rabuka emphasized that the Mercy Commission operates independently and that the decision to pardon the two men was entirely within the commission’s authority, carried out through proper channels.
“The People’s Alliance stated that the 2013 Constitution and its various bodies would function autonomously, and this includes the prerogative of the Mercy Commission, which is free from any government influence,” Rabuka asserted.
“It was the operation and authority of the Mercy Commission,” he added. “This has nothing to do with anyone in government or politics.”