George Speight

George Speight (/speɪt/;[1] born 1957), also known by his pseudonym Ilikimi Naitini,[2] is a Fijian businessman and politician who was the leader of the 2000 Fijian coup d'état, in which he and rebel soldiers from Fiji's Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit seized the Fijian Parliament and held Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry and 35 other MP's hostage from 19 May 2000 to 13 July 2000. After being convicted of treason for leading the coup, he was serving a sentence of life imprisonment until receiving a presidential pardon on 18 September 2024.

Speight is the son of politician Sam Speight,[3][4] the brother of politician Samisoni Tikoinasau and the uncle of rugby players Henry and Sam Speight.[5][6]

Personal life

Speight was born in Naivicula, Fiji,[7] and educated at Suva Grammar School.[8]: 91  before studying marketing in Australia and business at Andrews University in the United States.[8]: 91 [9] After graduating he worked in Australia as a bank clerk for Metway Bank,[10] and was involved in the Wattle Group pyramid scheme.[11][10] After returning to Fiji in 1996 he worked as an insurance broker for Heaths Insurance Group.[12] In 1998 he was appointed chair of the state-owned Fiji Pine and Fiji Hardwood Corporation by the Rabuka government, in which his father was serving as a Minister.[9][11] He was sacked by Heaths in April 1999 following financial irregularities,[12] and from his state appointments by the Labour coalition government in August 1999.[13] It later emerged that he had been paid consultancy fees by American timber company Trans Resource Management, to advocate for them to be granted the right to harvest Fiji's mahogany.[8]: 64 [13][14]

In early 2000, just days before the coup, he pleaded not guilty to exchange rate charges and extortion.[11][8]: 92 

Fiji coup of 2000

Main article: 2000 Fijian coup d'état

On 19 May 2000 a group of armed men led by Speight stormed the Fijian Parliament and took the government hostage.[15][3][16] Speight claimed to have seized power on behalf of ethnic Fijians, and purported to have revoked the 1997 constitution and appointed himself interim president and opposition MP Timoci Silatolu as interim Prime Minister.[16][17] The coup led to rioting and mob-violence in Suva,[8]: 85 [3][18] and ten days later to the overthrow of President Kamisese Mara by military commander Frank Bainimarama.[19][20] Bainimarama appointed an all-indigenous Fijian interim government on 3 July, which was rejected by Speight, leading to widespread violence across Fiji.[8]: 206 [21][22]

On 9 July, following prolonged negotiations, signed the Muanikau Accord with the military,[8]: 209  agreeing to release the hostages in exchange for an amnesty for himself. All his key demands had been met.[23] The last hostages were released on 13 July.[24][25][26]

Following the return of hostages and weapons, Speight and his followers moved to Kalabu Fijian School on the outskirts of Suva,[8]: 229  where they continued to lobby over the makeup of the interim government and demand control of key portfolios.[8]: 230–231 [27] When the government rejected his demands, his spokesman Joe Nata threatened civil war.[8]: 231 

Arrest and trial

On 26 July Speight and three others were arrested at a military checkpoint following threats to President Josefa Iloilo.[28][29] The military then stormed his headquarters, killing one person and arresting 369 supporters.[30][31][32] On 11 August 2000 he was charged with treason and imprisoned pending trial.[33][34]

In the 2001 Fijian general election, while still awaiting trial, Speight was elected to Parliament in the Tailevu North Fijian communal seat as a candidate for the Conservative Alliance-Matanitu Vanua.[35][36] In December 2001 he was dismissed from Parliament for non-attendance.[37][38]

On 18 February 2002 Speight pleaded guilty to treason and was sentenced to death.[39][40] The sentence was commuted to life imprisonment the same day by President Ratu Josefa Iloilo.[41] Initially imprisoned on Nukulau island, in 2006 he was transferred to the Naboro Maximum Security Prison after Nukulau's closure.[42]

In response to calls for his parole in 2020, Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said that there would be no special treatment for him.[43]

On 18 September 2024 Speight was granted a presidential pardon. He was released from prison the next day.[44]

References

  1. ^ "Pronounce - Browse all names for Fiji". Voice of America Pronounce. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  2. ^ "The Treason Charge". Scoop. 1 June 2001. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "Fiji's PM seized in coup". The Guardian. 19 May 2000. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  4. ^ "Coup leader Speight 'got in first'". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  5. ^ John-Paul Moloney (13 April 2011). "FIJI: Sport - The 'Uncle George' Speight factor". Pacific Media Centre. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  6. ^ Dutton, Chris (1 August 2014). "Saturday Serve: Henry Speight's siblings need a helping hand from Scott Morrison". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  7. ^ John Aglionby (6 June 2000). "Speight: Fiji village boy with a big mouth and ambitions". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Field, Michael; Baba, Tupeni; Nabobo-Baba, Unaisi (2005). Speight of Violence : Inside Fiji's 2000 coup (PDF). Canberra: Pandanus Books. ISBN 9781740761703. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  9. ^ a b George Speight at the Encyclopædia Britannica
  10. ^ a b Jason Spits (9 June 2000). "Fiji coup leader linked to failed Wattle scheme". Monaey Management. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  11. ^ a b c "'Criminal' on a warrior mission". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  12. ^ a b "Who is George Speight?". ABC. 19 May 2000. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  13. ^ a b "Timber behind Fiji coup?". News24. 5 September 2000. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  14. ^ "Money from Bellevue firm figures in Fiji allegations". Seattle Times. 1 July 2000. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  15. ^ Sheryl Ho (19 May 2000). "GUNMEN SEIZE PRIME MINISTER HOSTAGE IN FIJI COUP BID". Fiji Crisis. Archived from the original on 22 March 2003.
  16. ^ a b "Gunmen Storm Fiji's Parliament, Announce Government Takeover". Los Angeles Times. 19 May 2000. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  17. ^ "Fiji's leaders held hostage in 'ethnic' coup". Guardian. 20 May 2000. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  18. ^ "Fijian Police Officer Killed During Melee". Los Angeles Times. 29 May 2000. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  19. ^ "Fiji Military Takes Control And Declares Martial Law". New York Times. 30 May 2000. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  20. ^ "Three new decrees revoke Fiji's Constitution". Fiji Crisis. 30 May 2000. Archived from the original on 22 March 2003.
  21. ^ "Fiji rebels wounded in parliament shooting". The Guardian. 4 July 2000. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  22. ^ "Supporters of Fiji coup grab more hostages". Deseret News. 8 July 2000. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  23. ^ "Fiji coup". The Guardian. 13 July 2000. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  24. ^ Paul Alexander (14 July 2000). "Hostage Crisis Ends in Fiji". AP News. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  25. ^ "Fiji hostage crisis ends". The Guardian. 13 July 2000. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  26. ^ "Fiji's isolation grows as last hostages freed". The Globe and Mail. 14 July 2000. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  27. ^ "Fiji rebels demand PM be replaced with woman chief". CNN. 22 July 2000. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  28. ^ "REBEL LEADER GEORGE SPEIGHT ARRESTED". Fiji Crisis. 27 July 2000. Archived from the original on 24 February 2003.
  29. ^ "Fiji: Speight reported arrested". The Guardian. 26 July 2000. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  30. ^ "MILITARY STORM REBELS - 1 DEAD, 40 WOUNDED". Fiji Crisis. 27 July 2000. Archived from the original on 24 February 2003.
  31. ^ "Coup Leader in Fiji Is Arrested by the Military". New York Times. 27 July 2000. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  32. ^ Marie McInerney (27 July 2000). "Fiji Coup Leader Speight Arrested". ABC News. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  33. ^ "Speight on treason charge". The Guardian. 12 August 2000. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  34. ^ "Speight on double treason charge". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  35. ^ "Fiji coup leader elected to Parliament". Irish Examiner. 5 September 2001. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  36. ^ "Fiji coup leader wins parliamentary seat". The Guardian. 5 September 2001. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  37. ^ "Speight loses seat in Parliament". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  38. ^ "Fiji coup leader dismissed from parliament". Irish Examiner. 9 December 2001. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  39. ^ "Speight sentenced to death". New Zealand Herald. 18 February 2002. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  40. ^ "Fiji coup leader sentenced to die". The Guardian. 18 February 2002. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  41. ^ "Jail for Fiji rebels". BBC. 19 February 2002. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  42. ^ "Speight back in Fiji mainland jail". RNZ. 20 December 2006. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  43. ^ Edwin Nand (December 11, 2020). "No special treatment for George Speight". FBC News.
  44. ^ "Fiji coup leader George Speight granted Presidential pardon". RNZ. 19 September 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2024.