Fiji Corrections Service Commissioner Jalesi Nakarawa stated that there are no legal barriers preventing George Speight from seeking a mercy application. Speight, a key figure in the 2000 coup, along with former Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit leader Shane Stevens, was among seven individuals granted a Presidential Pardon last Thursday.
In 2001, Speight was charged with treason and entered a guilty plea. His death sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment in 2002. He has been incarcerated for 24 years, one month, and 23 days, totaling 8,820 days, serving time both on Nukulau Island and at the Naboro Corrections Complex, with no prior convictions.
Nakarawa clarified that discussions regarding Speight being pardoned twice are misguided. He explained that the circumstances surrounding the first pardon were distinct, noting that it was not a direct application from Speight but rather a response to legal remedies available at that time. Although the death penalty remained in existence, the government was in the process of abolishing it, and the court acted based on a legal loophole following a Cabinet decision that had yet to be presented to Parliament.
He added that the ultimate decision regarding mercy applications rests with the Mercy Commission. Nakarawa remarked that both Speight and Stevens were emotional upon hearing about their pardon, expressing a strong desire to rebuild their lives and start new businesses, drawing on the knowledge they gained during their imprisonment. He urged the public to recognize the Corrections Service’s commitment to fulfilling its duties responsibly, emphasizing that all matters are processed in accordance with the law.