Trials since the 2000 Fijian coup d'état: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 10:49, 20 October 2005

Revision as of 10:49, 20 October 2005

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On [[18 August]], the military rearrested the CRW soldiers whose sentences had been overturned by the Appeal Court, pending a retrial. Military spokesman [[Captain]] [[Neumi Leweni]] said that the 9 CRW soldiers who had participated in the mutiny had been taken into military custody and detained at Suva's Queen Elizabeth Barracks, while 11 others serving sentences related to the coup of May 2000 remain incarcerated in [[Korovou Prison]]. Appeal Court Judge [[Gerald Winter]] approved the rearrest and refused the defendants' requests for [[bail]], saying that it could be granted only by a court martial panel, not by the Court of Appeal.

A ten-member court martial panel was named on [[5 October]]. Military spokesman [[Captain]] [[Neumi Leweni]] and lawyer [[Sevuloni Valenitabua]] announced that that [[Lieutenant Colonel]] [[Apakuki Kurusiga]] had been appointed President of the court martial, with [[Fiji Law Society]] President [[Graeme Leung]] as the [[Judge Advocate]]. Other members of the panel named were [[Major]] [[Sitiveni Qiliho]], Captain [[Anil Kumar]], [[Lieutenant]] [[Eliki Salusalu]], Lieutenant [[Marika Vosawale]], Captain [[Viliame Tokalautawa]], Captain [[Viliame Kolinisau]] and Captain [[Vatimio Leva]]. The court martial was supposed to get underway on [[12 October]] but the proceedings had to be cancelled after prison officials failed to deliver the soldiers facing trial. On [[19 October]], when the court martial was scheduled to convene, Leung was abruptly dismissed without by [[List of Presidents of Fiji|President]] [[Josefa Iloilo|Ratu Josefa Iloilo]]. The Military's Legal Services Director, [[Major]] [[Kitione Tuinaosara]], said that the President wanted to appoint his own Judge Advocate. The Military had done their part by appointing the Court Martial panel, Tuinaosara said, and the onus was on the President to check the panel before approving it. He had not done so, Tuinaosara said. The PresidentsPresident's actions effectively adjourned the trial indefinitely.

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