Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has dismissed claims of political meddling in the decision to grant pardons to George Speight, the leader of the 2000 coup, and Shane Stevens, the former leader of the Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit (CRW).
This inquiry follows public calls from supporters of Rabuka’s political party for the release of both men during the People’s Alliance campaign meetings preceding the 2022 General Election, with the latest discussion occurring on September 13.
Speight and Stevens were among the seven individuals who received Presidential Pardons last Thursday. Speight was convicted of treason in 2002 after pleading guilty and initially received a death sentence, which was later commuted to life in prison.
In a statement to the media, Prime Minister Rabuka emphasized the independence of the Mercy Commission, indicating that the pardons of both Speight and Stevens were conducted through appropriate legal procedures without any governmental influence.
“The People’s Alliance stated that the 2013 Constitution and its various structures would operate independently, which includes the Mercy Commission’s prerogative,” Rabuka noted. “This function is independent of government or political involvement.”