Aftermath of Fiji coup of 2000
Encyclopedia
The Constitution of Fiji
, which had been abrogated by the Interim Military Government of Commodore
Frank Bainimarama
(who organized a counter-coup to neutralize the civilian coup d'état
instigated by George Speight
in May 2000), was reinstated by the High Court
on 15 November that year. This ruling was upheld by the Court of Appeal
on 1 March 2001. Since then, a police investigation has begun (though it has proceeded too slowly for the satisfaction of some critics), and a number of high-profile trials have taken place, resulting in the conviction and imprisonment of some members of the present government, which came to power in the wake of the coup.
It was announced on 2 May 2005 that 2499 people had been implicated to date in offence related to the coup. 11 out of 24 alleged plotters had been tried, along with 6 executors of the coup. Of 21 alleged financial supporters, none had been dealth with, an investigations were still in progress. On 21 September, Home Affairs Minister Josefa Vosanibola
announced that 556 people had been tried either thorough the justice system or by court martial. He rejected a call from Labour
MP
Ganesh Chand
to name them, however, saying that many were either serving or had served their sentences, and that to name them would breach their privacy. 120 soldiers had been tried - 56 for their roles in the coup, 28 for the Sukanaivalu mutiny, and 38 for the Suva
mutiny on 2 November 2000. He said that there were currently 208 cases pending before the Director of Public Prosecutions
. The charges ranged from unlawful assembly
and public order breaches to murder
, sedition
, and treason
; apart from a few who were acquitted for lack of evidence, most had been convicted, Vosanibola said.
A number of separate, but overlapping, investigations have been conducted by the police into various aspects of the 2000 coup. Some of these investigations are ongoing. These investigations include the organization and financing of the coup, and the identity of the perpetrators. Some have alleged that George Speight
was only a front-man for a shadowy group of politicians and businessmen; former Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka
is reported to be one of those under investigation.
Other cases being investigated include the removal of Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara
from the Presidency and the installation of an Interim Military Government by the Military
Commander, Commodore
Frank Bainimarama
, and an alleged plot to remove the subsequently appointed President, Ratu Josefa Iloilo
.
Police Commissioner
Andrew Hughes
revealed on 4 January 2006 that a total of seven major investigations related to the coup were in progress, with four offices assigned to them full-time. Three files had been reopened, he said, following allegations made by Maciu Navakasuasua
, a coup-convict, and Josaia Waqabaca
, a self-declared party to the planning of the coup.
A number of prominent participants in the coup have been tried, and some convicted, in 2004 and 2005. Many of those tried have links to the present government, which has come under criticism from some quarters for releasing on parole
some of the persons convicted.
" empowered to recommend amnesty
for persons involved in the coup, provided that their motive had been "political" and that they had not done so with "criminal intent." Opposition Leader
Chaudhry condemned the proposed Commission, alleging that it would be a cover for pardoning members of the present government who were implicated in the coup. Chaudhry insisted that one set of rules should apply to everyone, regardless of their position in society, and regardless of their motives for having broken the law. He was supported by National Alliance Party
president Ratu
Epeli Ganilau
and by United Peoples Party
leader Mick Beddoes
. Ganilau said that the notion that politically motivated crimes could be justified was "insulting to the intelligence of ordinary people," and that it represented a naive and uncaring attitude toward the hurt suffered by many during the 2000 coup. "The intention to bring a closure to investigations and litigation regarding the 2000 coup would be a severe interference of politics into the work of law enforcement in this country," Ganilau said. On 18 May, he added that he saw "nothing reconciliatory about the bill," which he believed to be aimed at legalizing the Muanikau Accord, which had been proposed by George Speight in 2000. "To use the word reconciliation is a gross violation of the rights of everyone in this nation," he said. Beddoes, for his part, called the proposal a recipe for disaster which would licence any would-be political activist who wanted to engage in coups, to do so. He accused the government of kow-towing to its junior coalition
partner, the Conservative Alliance
, on which it depends for its parliamentary majority, in order to keep them on board until the next parliamentary election
, expected for 2006. On 7 May, Adi Koila Nailatikau
added her own voice to the opposition to the commission, saying that if her father were alive, he would not approve of interfering with the course of justice, and that unless all perpetrators of the coup were brought to justice, "Fiji cannot put to rest the ghosts of the coup." Yet another opponent of the proposal is Commodore
Frank Bainimarama
, who has called the bill "Reconciliation bull."
, resigned in protest against political interference in the judicial system, namely the early release of prisoners. On 20 June, he was ordered to leave Fiji and return to his native Australia
after Prime Minister Qarase vetoed a two-month extension of his contract. Ridgeway had been responsible for a number of high-profile prosecutions, and opposition politicians thought that his dismissal and expulsion were politically motivated.
Speaking on ABC Radio Australia, Attorney-General Qoriniasi Bale
said that it was the government's prerogative to decide on the employment of foreign worker
s in the civil service
. Ridgeway's contract had been for a fixed term and had already expired. "It was subject to renewal at the option of the employer," Bale said. "It is not at his option or the option of any other person who may support him or whatever else." He denied that there was anything sinister about refusing Ridgeway the requested two-month contract extension to complete cases he had been working on.
Ridgeway's expulsion was condemned by Opposition Leader
Mahendra Chaudhry
and by United Peoples Party
leader Mick Beddoes
, who claimed that the decision motivated by Ridgeway's prosecution of persons close to the government. He said that "two very prominent figures" were among those being pursued by Ridgeway; he did not name them, but one is believed to be former Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka
. Beddoes predicted that these cases would "now gather dust."
On 23 June, Police Commissioner Andrew Hughes
said he hoped that Ridgeway's expulsion would not affect the investigations and prosecutions underway. The Australian High Commission in Suva
also said that it had been in touch with Fiji's Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the matter. It did not give details. Foreign Minister Kaliopate Tavola
was "too busy" to comment at the immediately, but later said that he had discussed the affair with Australia's High Commissioner
, Jennifer Rawlins. Relations with Australia, he said, would have to go on despite the "unfortunate" circumstances surrounding the dismissal of Ridgeway in what he called "a one-off situation." He did not believe the controversy would tarnish Fiji's image.
The Military commander, Commodore Bainimarama, reacted angrily to Ridgeway's expulsion, saying on 25 June that it would seriously hinder investigations, which would have to start all over again. Ridgeway himself concurred. "There is nobody in the DPP’s office who has the knowledge of the coup cases that I do," he said. "And the reason for that is obvious: I have had an instrumental role in each and every coup case; I know it backwards. Nobody knows it as well as I do. For somebody to read into those sort of cases would be a six months job."
Bainimarama further alleged that Ridgeway was "almost closing in on" some major perpetrators of the coup when he was ordered to leave.
and their People's Coalition
partners in the 1999-2000 government have been suing George Speight and co-conspirator Timoci Silatolu
for compensation. Former Police Commissioner
Isikia Savua
, whom the late President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara
accused in his last recorded interview of involvement in the coup, is being sued also. The plaintiffs have been ordered by the court to cover the travel expenses of Savua, who is now Fiji's Ambassador
to the United Nations
in New York
.
It was announced on 25 July 2005 that the hearing had been postponed to 12 August.
In addition, former Prime Minister Chaudhry, along with some others who were held as hostages during the coup crisis (including his son Rajendra
), are preparing to sue the government for what they say was Military and Police negligence. They allege that the Military and Police knew that a coup was likely, and did nothing about it. "They did not take the necessary steps to insulate the Prime Minister, Government Ministers, Parliamentarians and other staff against the threats," said Rajendra Chaudhry."As a result of their negligence, I had to endure physical torture and psychological trauma and am seeking compensation for these and related matters." On 15 August, Rajendra announced that he was suing for F$500,000
, to cover loss of superannuation, medical expenses, and loss of future earnings. He said that his lawsuit was separate from his father's.
A pre-trial conference for the lawsuit laid by the Fiji Labour Party
will be held in the High Court
on 9 September. Lawyer Vipul Misha is representing both Mahendra and Rajendra Chaudhry, as well as Dr Ganesh Chand
, Giyannendra Prasad, Anand Singh
, and the estate of Muthu Sami. A Queens Counsel has been asked to join the team.
On 31 August, Justice Gerard Winter decided to adjourn till 30 September the hearing of the lawsuit of former FLP parliamentarians Lekh Ram Vayeshnoi
and Gaffar Ahmed
, after defence lawyer Akuila Naco asked for more time to prepare his case.
On 15 September, Justice Winter set 14 October for Mahendra Chaudhry's compensation trial to begin. He refused a request from Timoci Silatolu's lawyer for a Military investigation into the 2000 upheaval to be made public, after the Military lawyer claimed Military privilege.
Speight and his co-defendants appeared in Court on 27 January 2006 for a preliminary hearing, pending the full hearing scheduled for 1 May.
Constitution of Fiji
The 1997 Constitution of Fiji was the supreme law of Fiji from its adoption in 1997 until 2009 when President Josefa Iloilo purported to abrogate it. It was also suspended for a period following the 2000 coup d'état led by Commodore Frank Bainimarama....
, which had been abrogated by the Interim Military Government of Commodore
Commodore (rank)
Commodore is a military rank used in many navies that is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral. Non-English-speaking nations often use the rank of flotilla admiral or counter admiral as an equivalent .It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always...
Frank Bainimarama
Frank Bainimarama
Commodore Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, CF, MSD, OStJ, Fijian Navy, known commonly as Frank Bainimarama and sometimes by the chiefly title Ratu , is a Fijian naval officer and politician. He is the Commander of the Fijian Military Forces and, as of April 2009, Prime Minister...
(who organized a counter-coup to neutralize the civilian coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
instigated by George Speight
George Speight
George Speight , occasionally known as Ilikimi Naitini, was the principal instigator of the Fiji coup of 2000, in which he kidnapped thirty-six government officials and held them from May 19, 2000 to July 13, 2000...
in May 2000), was reinstated by the High Court
High Court (Fiji)
The High Court of Fiji is one of three courts established by Chapter 9 of the Constitution of Fiji—the others being the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. The Constitution empowers Parliament to create other courts; these are subordinate to the High Court, which is authorized to oversee all...
on 15 November that year. This ruling was upheld by the Court of Appeal
Court of Appeal (Fiji)
The Court of Appeal of Fiji is one of three courts established by Chapter 9 of the Constitution, the others being the High Court and the Supreme Court. The Court of Appeal was a new institution established when the 1997 Constitution came into effect; the other two courts predated it...
on 1 March 2001. Since then, a police investigation has begun (though it has proceeded too slowly for the satisfaction of some critics), and a number of high-profile trials have taken place, resulting in the conviction and imprisonment of some members of the present government, which came to power in the wake of the coup.
It was announced on 2 May 2005 that 2499 people had been implicated to date in offence related to the coup. 11 out of 24 alleged plotters had been tried, along with 6 executors of the coup. Of 21 alleged financial supporters, none had been dealth with, an investigations were still in progress. On 21 September, Home Affairs Minister Josefa Vosanibola
Josefa Vosanibola
Josefa Bole Vosanibola is a Fijian politician, who has served as Minister for Home Affairs since 16 December 2004, when he was appointed by Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase to succeed Joketani Cokanasiga...
announced that 556 people had been tried either thorough the justice system or by court martial. He rejected a call from Labour
Fiji Labour Party
The Fiji Labour Party is a political party in Fiji, which holds observer status with the Socialist International. Most of its support at present comes from the Indo-Fijian community, although it is officially multiracial and its first leader was an indigenous Fijian, Dr. Timoci Bavadra. It is...
MP
House of Representatives (Fiji)
The House of Representatives is the lower chamber of Fiji's Parliament. It is the more powerful of the two chambers; it alone has the power to initiate legislation...
Ganesh Chand
Ganesh Chand
Dr. Ganeshwar Chand, better known as Ganesh Chand, is a Fijian academic and former politician of Indian descent. He is a founder of the University of Fiji and serves as a Trustee of the Fiji Institute of Applied Studies and as Editor of Fijian Studies: A Journal of Contemporary Fiji .From 1999 to...
to name them, however, saying that many were either serving or had served their sentences, and that to name them would breach their privacy. 120 soldiers had been tried - 56 for their roles in the coup, 28 for the Sukanaivalu mutiny, and 38 for the Suva
Suva
Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
mutiny on 2 November 2000. He said that there were currently 208 cases pending before the Director of Public Prosecutions
Director of Public Prosecutions (Fiji)
The Director of Public Prosecutions was created under the Fiji Independence Act of 1970 and came into being that year. In 1990 and subsequently in 1997, the powers of the Office of the DPP were provided for in the Fiji Constitution, an entrenched document and the supreme law of the nation...
. The charges ranged from unlawful assembly
Unlawful assembly
Unlawful assembly is a legal term to describe a group of people with the mutual intent of deliberate disturbance of the peace. If the group are about to start the act of disturbance, it is termed a rout; if the disturbance is commenced, it is then termed a riot.- Section 144 :Section 144 is a...
and public order breaches to murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
, sedition
Sedition
In law, sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that is deemed by the legal authority to tend toward insurrection against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent to lawful authority. Sedition may include any...
, and treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
; apart from a few who were acquitted for lack of evidence, most had been convicted, Vosanibola said.
Police investigation
- See main article: Investigations since the Fiji coup of 2000Investigations since the Fiji coup of 2000A number of separate, but overlapping, investigations have been conducted by the police into various aspects of the 2000 coup. Some of these investigations are ongoing. These investigations include the organization and financing of the coup, and the identity of the perpetrators...
A number of separate, but overlapping, investigations have been conducted by the police into various aspects of the 2000 coup. Some of these investigations are ongoing. These investigations include the organization and financing of the coup, and the identity of the perpetrators. Some have alleged that George Speight
George Speight
George Speight , occasionally known as Ilikimi Naitini, was the principal instigator of the Fiji coup of 2000, in which he kidnapped thirty-six government officials and held them from May 19, 2000 to July 13, 2000...
was only a front-man for a shadowy group of politicians and businessmen; former Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka
Sitiveni Rabuka
Major-General Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka, OBE, MSD, OStJ, is best known as the instigator of two military coups that shook Fiji in 1987. He was later democratically elected the third Prime Minister, serving from 1992 to 1999...
is reported to be one of those under investigation.
Other cases being investigated include the removal of Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara
Kamisese Mara
Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, CF, GCMG, KBE is considered the founding father of the modern nation of Fiji. He was Chief Minister from 1967 to 1970, when Fiji gained its independence from the United Kingdom, and, apart from one brief interruption in 1987, the first Prime Minister from 1970 to 1992...
from the Presidency and the installation of an Interim Military Government by the Military
Military of Fiji
The Republic of Fiji Military Forces are the military of the Pacific island nation of Fiji. With a total manpower of 3,500 active soldiers and 6,000 reservists, it is one of the smallest militaries in the world. However, most of its surrounding island nations have no militaries at all...
Commander, Commodore
Commodore (rank)
Commodore is a military rank used in many navies that is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral. Non-English-speaking nations often use the rank of flotilla admiral or counter admiral as an equivalent .It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always...
Frank Bainimarama
Frank Bainimarama
Commodore Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, CF, MSD, OStJ, Fijian Navy, known commonly as Frank Bainimarama and sometimes by the chiefly title Ratu , is a Fijian naval officer and politician. He is the Commander of the Fijian Military Forces and, as of April 2009, Prime Minister...
, and an alleged plot to remove the subsequently appointed President, Ratu Josefa Iloilo
Josefa Iloilo
Ratu Josefa Iloilovatu Uluivuda, CF, MBE, MSD, KStJ was the President of Fiji from 2000 until 2009, excluding a brief period from 5 December 2006 until 4 January 2007 . He held the traditional title of Tui Vuda, the paramount chief of the Vuda district in Ba Province on Fiji's northwest coast...
.
Police Commissioner
Commissioner of Police (Fiji)
Fiji has a unified national police force, the Fiji Police, whose motto is Salus Populi.The Fijian Commissioner of Police title had been held by Australian police officer Andrew Hughes since 2003 but after the 2006 takeover of the Government the post has been reserved for a local.The Commissioner is...
Andrew Hughes
Andrew Hughes (police)
Andrew 'Andy' Hughes is a senior officer of the Australian Federal Police who, until recently, served as the Chief Police Officer for the Australian Capital Territory . The CPO position is similar to the role of Australian Commissioners of Police, that is, the chief executive of the ACT Policing...
revealed on 4 January 2006 that a total of seven major investigations related to the coup were in progress, with four offices assigned to them full-time. Three files had been reopened, he said, following allegations made by Maciu Navakasuasua
Maciu Navakasuasua
Maciu Navakasuasua is a Fijian public figure and former political organizer. An explosives expert, Navakasuasua said that on behalf of the Nationalist Vanua Tako Lavo Party, an extremist party which advocated the "repatriation" to India of Indo-Fijians, two prominent businessmen had tried to hire...
, a coup-convict, and Josaia Waqabaca
Josaia Waqabaca
Josaia Waqabaca is a Fijian public figure and former political organizer, who has become a police informant about the Fiji coup of 2000. Waqabaca was convicted and imprisoned in 2001 for plotting to kidnap the Military Commander, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, in 2000.A former official of the...
, a self-declared party to the planning of the coup.
Controversial trials and verdicts
- See main article: Trials since the Fiji coup of 2000Trials since the Fiji coup of 2000A number of prominent participants in the coup have been tried, and some convicted, in 2004 and 2005. Many of those tried include Cabinet Minister, parliamentarians, and others who have links to the present government, which has come under criticism from some quarters for releasing on parole some...
A number of prominent participants in the coup have been tried, and some convicted, in 2004 and 2005. Many of those tried have links to the present government, which has come under criticism from some quarters for releasing on parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
some of the persons convicted.
Reconciliation commission proposed
Prime Minister Qarase announced on 4 May 2005 that the government would establish a "Reconciliation and Unity CommissionReconciliation and Unity Commission (Fiji)
The Reconciliation and Unity Commission is a proposed government body to be set up if the Reconciliation, Tolerance, and Unity Bill, which was introduced into the Fijian Parliament on 4 May 2005 is passed...
" empowered to recommend amnesty
Amnesty
Amnesty is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to the positions of innocent people, without changing the laws defining the offense. It includes more than pardon, in as much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the...
for persons involved in the coup, provided that their motive had been "political" and that they had not done so with "criminal intent." Opposition Leader
Leader of the Opposition (Fiji)
The post of Leader of the Opposition is a political office common in countries that are part of the Commonwealth of Nations. It did not originate in Fiji but has a long tradition; in British constitutional theory, the Leader of the Opposition must pose a formal alternative to the government, ready...
Chaudhry condemned the proposed Commission, alleging that it would be a cover for pardoning members of the present government who were implicated in the coup. Chaudhry insisted that one set of rules should apply to everyone, regardless of their position in society, and regardless of their motives for having broken the law. He was supported by National Alliance Party
National Alliance Party of Fiji
The National Alliance Party of Fiji is a Fijian political party. It was formally registered on 18 January 2005 by Ratu Epeli Ganilau, as the claimed successor to the defunct Alliance Party, which ruled Fiji from 1967 to 1987 under the leadership of the late Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, Ganilau's...
president Ratu
Ratu
Ratu is a title used by Fijians of chiefly rank. An equivalent title, Adi is used by females of chiefly rank.-Etymology:Ra is a prefix in many titles and Tu is simply "chief"...
Epeli Ganilau
Epeli Ganilau
Brigadier-General Ratu Epeli Ganilau, MC, MSD, is a Fijian soldier and statesman, who currently heads the National Alliance Party of Fiji. His career has previously encompassed such roles as Commander of the Fiji Military Forces and Chairman of the Bose Levu Vakaturaga...
and by United Peoples Party
United Peoples Party (Fiji)
The United Peoples Party is a political party in Fiji, whose support base lies chiefly among General Electors - Fiji Islanders who belong to ethnic minorities, such as Europeans, Chinese, Banaban Islanders, as well as multiracial people...
leader Mick Beddoes
Mick Beddoes
Mick Malcolm Millis Beddoes, widely known as Mick Beddoes, is a Fijian politician and businessman from Nadi, who has led the United Peoples Party since 2000, and was the Leader of the Opposition at the time of the military coup of 5 December 2006...
. Ganilau said that the notion that politically motivated crimes could be justified was "insulting to the intelligence of ordinary people," and that it represented a naive and uncaring attitude toward the hurt suffered by many during the 2000 coup. "The intention to bring a closure to investigations and litigation regarding the 2000 coup would be a severe interference of politics into the work of law enforcement in this country," Ganilau said. On 18 May, he added that he saw "nothing reconciliatory about the bill," which he believed to be aimed at legalizing the Muanikau Accord, which had been proposed by George Speight in 2000. "To use the word reconciliation is a gross violation of the rights of everyone in this nation," he said. Beddoes, for his part, called the proposal a recipe for disaster which would licence any would-be political activist who wanted to engage in coups, to do so. He accused the government of kow-towing to its junior coalition
Coalition
A coalition is a pact or treaty among individuals or groups, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest, joining forces together for a common cause. This alliance may be temporary or a matter of convenience. A coalition thus differs from a more formal covenant...
partner, the Conservative Alliance
Conservative Alliance (Fiji)
The Conservative Alliance was a far-right political party in Fiji, and a member of the ruling coalition government. It was commonly known as the CAMV, a combination of the initials of its English and Fijian names...
, on which it depends for its parliamentary majority, in order to keep them on board until the next parliamentary election
Fiji election of 2006
The Constitution of Fiji requires general elections for the House of Representatives to be held at least once every five years. The latest election was held on 6-13 May 2006. Acting President Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi issued a proclamation on 2 March, effective from 27 March, dissolving Parliament...
, expected for 2006. On 7 May, Adi Koila Nailatikau
Koila Nailatikau
Adi Koila Mara Nailatikau is a Fijian lawyer, who has served as a diplomat and politician.- Family background :Vasemaca Koila Josephine Mara was born in 1953...
added her own voice to the opposition to the commission, saying that if her father were alive, he would not approve of interfering with the course of justice, and that unless all perpetrators of the coup were brought to justice, "Fiji cannot put to rest the ghosts of the coup." Yet another opponent of the proposal is Commodore
Commodore (rank)
Commodore is a military rank used in many navies that is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral. Non-English-speaking nations often use the rank of flotilla admiral or counter admiral as an equivalent .It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always...
Frank Bainimarama
Frank Bainimarama
Commodore Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, CF, MSD, OStJ, Fijian Navy, known commonly as Frank Bainimarama and sometimes by the chiefly title Ratu , is a Fijian naval officer and politician. He is the Commander of the Fijian Military Forces and, as of April 2009, Prime Minister...
, who has called the bill "Reconciliation bull."
Expulsion of Ridgeway
On 3 May 2005, the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Peter RidgewayPeter Ridgeway
Peter Ridgway is an Australian prosecutor and a former Deputy Director of Prosecutions in Fiji.Ridgway resigned on 3 May 2005 and was expelled from Fiji on 22 June by the government of then-Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase, while investigating alleged links between members of the government and the...
, resigned in protest against political interference in the judicial system, namely the early release of prisoners. On 20 June, he was ordered to leave Fiji and return to his native Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
after Prime Minister Qarase vetoed a two-month extension of his contract. Ridgeway had been responsible for a number of high-profile prosecutions, and opposition politicians thought that his dismissal and expulsion were politically motivated.
Speaking on ABC Radio Australia, Attorney-General Qoriniasi Bale
Qoriniasi Bale
Qoriniasi Babitu Bale is a lawyer and political leader, who has served twice as Fiji's Minister for Justice and Attorney-General, most recently from 2001 to 2006, when he was deposed in the military coup of 5 December...
said that it was the government's prerogative to decide on the employment of foreign worker
Foreign worker
A foreign worker is a person who works in a country other than the one of which he or she is a citizen. The term migrant worker as discussed in the migrant worker page is used in a particular UN resolution as a synonym for "foreign worker"...
s in the civil service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
. Ridgeway's contract had been for a fixed term and had already expired. "It was subject to renewal at the option of the employer," Bale said. "It is not at his option or the option of any other person who may support him or whatever else." He denied that there was anything sinister about refusing Ridgeway the requested two-month contract extension to complete cases he had been working on.
Ridgeway's expulsion was condemned by Opposition Leader
Leader of the Opposition (Fiji)
The post of Leader of the Opposition is a political office common in countries that are part of the Commonwealth of Nations. It did not originate in Fiji but has a long tradition; in British constitutional theory, the Leader of the Opposition must pose a formal alternative to the government, ready...
Mahendra Chaudhry
Mahendra Chaudhry
Mahendra Pal Chaudhry is a Fijian politician and the leader of the Fiji Labour Party...
and by United Peoples Party
United Peoples Party (Fiji)
The United Peoples Party is a political party in Fiji, whose support base lies chiefly among General Electors - Fiji Islanders who belong to ethnic minorities, such as Europeans, Chinese, Banaban Islanders, as well as multiracial people...
leader Mick Beddoes
Mick Beddoes
Mick Malcolm Millis Beddoes, widely known as Mick Beddoes, is a Fijian politician and businessman from Nadi, who has led the United Peoples Party since 2000, and was the Leader of the Opposition at the time of the military coup of 5 December 2006...
, who claimed that the decision motivated by Ridgeway's prosecution of persons close to the government. He said that "two very prominent figures" were among those being pursued by Ridgeway; he did not name them, but one is believed to be former Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka
Sitiveni Rabuka
Major-General Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka, OBE, MSD, OStJ, is best known as the instigator of two military coups that shook Fiji in 1987. He was later democratically elected the third Prime Minister, serving from 1992 to 1999...
. Beddoes predicted that these cases would "now gather dust."
On 23 June, Police Commissioner Andrew Hughes
Andrew Hughes (police)
Andrew 'Andy' Hughes is a senior officer of the Australian Federal Police who, until recently, served as the Chief Police Officer for the Australian Capital Territory . The CPO position is similar to the role of Australian Commissioners of Police, that is, the chief executive of the ACT Policing...
said he hoped that Ridgeway's expulsion would not affect the investigations and prosecutions underway. The Australian High Commission in Suva
Suva
Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
also said that it had been in touch with Fiji's Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the matter. It did not give details. Foreign Minister Kaliopate Tavola
Kaliopate Tavola
Kaliopate Tavola is a Fijian economist, diplomat, and politician, who was his country's Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2000 to 2006...
was "too busy" to comment at the immediately, but later said that he had discussed the affair with Australia's High Commissioner
High Commissioner
High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.-Bilateral diplomacy:...
, Jennifer Rawlins. Relations with Australia, he said, would have to go on despite the "unfortunate" circumstances surrounding the dismissal of Ridgeway in what he called "a one-off situation." He did not believe the controversy would tarnish Fiji's image.
The Military commander, Commodore Bainimarama, reacted angrily to Ridgeway's expulsion, saying on 25 June that it would seriously hinder investigations, which would have to start all over again. Ridgeway himself concurred. "There is nobody in the DPP’s office who has the knowledge of the coup cases that I do," he said. "And the reason for that is obvious: I have had an instrumental role in each and every coup case; I know it backwards. Nobody knows it as well as I do. For somebody to read into those sort of cases would be a six months job."
Bainimarama further alleged that Ridgeway was "almost closing in on" some major perpetrators of the coup when he was ordered to leave.
Compensation lawsuit
Forty-nine parliamentarians from the Fiji Labour PartyFiji Labour Party
The Fiji Labour Party is a political party in Fiji, which holds observer status with the Socialist International. Most of its support at present comes from the Indo-Fijian community, although it is officially multiracial and its first leader was an indigenous Fijian, Dr. Timoci Bavadra. It is...
and their People's Coalition
People's Coalition (Fiji)
The People's Coalition was an alliance of three political parties in Fiji, formed in March 1999 to contest the parliamentary election to be held in May that year...
partners in the 1999-2000 government have been suing George Speight and co-conspirator Timoci Silatolu
Timoci Silatolu
Timoci Qiolevu Silatolu, sometimes known by his chiefly title of Ratu, is a former Fijian politician.- Political career :As a candidate of the Fijian Association Party, Silatolu was elected to represent the Rewa Fijian Communal Constituency in the House of Representatives in the general election of...
for compensation. Former Police Commissioner
Commissioner of Police (Fiji)
Fiji has a unified national police force, the Fiji Police, whose motto is Salus Populi.The Fijian Commissioner of Police title had been held by Australian police officer Andrew Hughes since 2003 but after the 2006 takeover of the Government the post has been reserved for a local.The Commissioner is...
Isikia Savua
Isikia Savua
Isikia Rabici Savua was a senior Fijian diplomat, who had a distinguished career in the Military and police forces before taking up his last post as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations on 4 March 2003.- Career :Savua spent 18 years in the Fijian army, which he joined on...
, whom the late President Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara
Kamisese Mara
Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, CF, GCMG, KBE is considered the founding father of the modern nation of Fiji. He was Chief Minister from 1967 to 1970, when Fiji gained its independence from the United Kingdom, and, apart from one brief interruption in 1987, the first Prime Minister from 1970 to 1992...
accused in his last recorded interview of involvement in the coup, is being sued also. The plaintiffs have been ordered by the court to cover the travel expenses of Savua, who is now Fiji's Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
It was announced on 25 July 2005 that the hearing had been postponed to 12 August.
In addition, former Prime Minister Chaudhry, along with some others who were held as hostages during the coup crisis (including his son Rajendra
Rajendra Chaudhry
- Career :Chaudhry is best-known as the son of Mahendra Chaudhry, leader of the Fiji Labour Party who was deposed as Prime Minister in the Fiji coup of 2000...
), are preparing to sue the government for what they say was Military and Police negligence. They allege that the Military and Police knew that a coup was likely, and did nothing about it. "They did not take the necessary steps to insulate the Prime Minister, Government Ministers, Parliamentarians and other staff against the threats," said Rajendra Chaudhry."As a result of their negligence, I had to endure physical torture and psychological trauma and am seeking compensation for these and related matters." On 15 August, Rajendra announced that he was suing for F$500,000
Fijian dollar
The dollar has been the currency of Fiji since 1969 and was also the currency between 1867 and 1873. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively FJ$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
, to cover loss of superannuation, medical expenses, and loss of future earnings. He said that his lawsuit was separate from his father's.
A pre-trial conference for the lawsuit laid by the Fiji Labour Party
Fiji Labour Party
The Fiji Labour Party is a political party in Fiji, which holds observer status with the Socialist International. Most of its support at present comes from the Indo-Fijian community, although it is officially multiracial and its first leader was an indigenous Fijian, Dr. Timoci Bavadra. It is...
will be held in the High Court
High Court (Fiji)
The High Court of Fiji is one of three courts established by Chapter 9 of the Constitution of Fiji—the others being the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. The Constitution empowers Parliament to create other courts; these are subordinate to the High Court, which is authorized to oversee all...
on 9 September. Lawyer Vipul Misha is representing both Mahendra and Rajendra Chaudhry, as well as Dr Ganesh Chand
Ganesh Chand
Dr. Ganeshwar Chand, better known as Ganesh Chand, is a Fijian academic and former politician of Indian descent. He is a founder of the University of Fiji and serves as a Trustee of the Fiji Institute of Applied Studies and as Editor of Fijian Studies: A Journal of Contemporary Fiji .From 1999 to...
, Giyannendra Prasad, Anand Singh
Anand Singh
Anand Kumar Singh is a Fijian lawyer and politician of Indian descent. He was born on 8 August 1948 in Bombay, when his family had temporarily moved to India. The family returned from India in 1951 to live at the birthplace of his father, Parmanand Singh, in Yalalevu, Ba...
, and the estate of Muthu Sami. A Queens Counsel has been asked to join the team.
On 31 August, Justice Gerard Winter decided to adjourn till 30 September the hearing of the lawsuit of former FLP parliamentarians Lekh Ram Vayeshnoi
Lekh Ram Vayeshnoi
Lekh Ram Vayeshnoi, is a Fijian politician of Indian descent. He was one of the youngest members to be elected into Parliament in 1992. He has represented the Nadroga Indian Communal Constituency, which he won for the Fiji Labour Party in the parliamentary elections of 1992, 1994, 1999, 2001, and...
and Gaffar Ahmed
Gaffar Ahmed
Gaffar Ahmed is a Fiji Labour Party Fijian politician of Indian descent. Ahmed, a former police officer, represented the Ba West Indian Communal Constituency, one of 19 reserved for Indo-Fijians, from 1995 to 2006....
, after defence lawyer Akuila Naco asked for more time to prepare his case.
On 15 September, Justice Winter set 14 October for Mahendra Chaudhry's compensation trial to begin. He refused a request from Timoci Silatolu's lawyer for a Military investigation into the 2000 upheaval to be made public, after the Military lawyer claimed Military privilege.
Speight and his co-defendants appeared in Court on 27 January 2006 for a preliminary hearing, pending the full hearing scheduled for 1 May.