 |
Fiji Coup Leader to Stand Trial for Treason
A Fiji magistrate on Wednesday ordered that coup plotter George Speight and 12 others stand trial for the capital crime of treason over their seizure of parliament in 2000.
Magistrate Sailesi Temo ruled in a preliminary inquiry that there was a case to answer, and set an initial trial appearance in the high court on August 31 -- coinciding with a general election in Fiji.
The high court earlier on Wednesday gave the go-ahead for the general election in the last week of August to restore democracy to the Pacific nation, 15 months after turmoil caused by the racially motivated coup.
Nationalist rebels led by failed businessman Speight seized parliament on May 19, 2000 and took ethnic-Indian prime minister Mahendra Chaudhry and his government hostage for 56 days.
Speight's legal team was eager to begin court hearings to challenge the withdrawal of an amnesty granted to the rebels by the army, in return for them freeing the hostages.
The amnesty was later withdrawn on the grounds that the rebels had broken one of the conditions to return all their arms, and Speight and his supporters were arrested.
In This Section
|