'Prosecute all others implicated in treason,' says Yabaki
Title -- 3830 FIJI: 'Prosecute all others implicated in treason,' says Yabaki
Date -- 7 November 2002
Byline -- None
Origin -- Pacific Media Watch
Source -- Daily Post/FijiLive, 6/11/2
Copyright -- DP/FL
Status -- Unabridged
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PROSECUTE ALL OTHERS: YABAKI
http://www.fijilive.com/news/news.php3?art=07/07c.htm
SUVA (Daily Post/FijiLive/Pacific Media Watch): Fiji's police and the military must now move to prosecute all others involved in the overthrow of the People's Coalition Government, says the Citizens' Constitutional Forum after 15 rebel elite soldiers were found guilty of mutiny.
The former members of the First Meridian Squadron -- or the Counter Revolutionary Warfare unit -- were convicted yesterday of mutiny at Queen Elizabeth Barracks on 2 November 2000 in a long-running court martial that has been covered extensively by the media.
Eight soldiers -- five rebels and three loyalists -- died in the shootout at QEB at Nabua, Suva. The soldiers had earlier been involved in the May 2000 attack on Parliament led by the now convicted traitor, George Speight.
The soldiers could be sentenced to death by firing squad or life imprisonment.
“Now that the CRW unit soldiers have been proven guilty in a court of law, two things are before us,” said CCF executive director Reverend Akuila Yabaki said.
“First, the Fiji Military Forces Commander, Frank Bainimarama, needs support for having carried out this investigation which has brought to justice those involved in the camp mutiny.
“This is an exemplary step that he has taken but it is only the beginning.
“What the FMF Commander has done is exemplary to the civil sector of society at large.
“Persons behind the events of 2000, some of them chiefs and senior public officials, will need to be brought to justice.
“The fact that it will take time must not weaken our resolve for legal justice.
“There are those who were involved in the takeover of the Labasa military camp and senior officers who were behind the May 2000 overthrow of Mahendra Chaudhry's democratically elected government.
“These people will need to be investigated and brought to justice.
“The other alternative is rather stark, to forgive and forget is not the way of true reconciliation because there are some people around who should have paid the price but who have become beneficiaries because they have been allowed to get away with it.”
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