In a significant development in Fiji’s political landscape, the country’s High Court has sentenced former Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama to a year in prison after finding him guilty of perverting the course of justice, as per a statement from the country’s Director of Public Prosecution. This conviction was handed down in alignment with an
official release from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The case against the former Prime Minister, who previously served as a military commander and came to power following a bloodless coup in 2006, dates back to July 2019. The administration of South Pacific University had filed a complaint to the police to investigate alleged corruption, misuse of power and mismanagement by the university staff members. Reports suggest that Frank Bainimarama, who was in office at the time, instructed the then Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho to halt the investigation.
Bainimarama was sentenced alongside suspended Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho, who received a two-year sentence for his abuse of office. Notably, both were initially declared not guilty and acquitted by the Suva Magistrates Court in October 2023. However, the Acting Chief Justice overturned this verdict on appeal, leading to a series of legal actions that eventually resulted in their conviction, as reported by
The Guardian.
Despite receiving instructions from the higher court to proceed with the conviction and sentence, the Magistrates Court discharged both defendants, leading to a new appeal by the Director of Public Prosecution to the High Court. The High Court then quashed the lower court’s decision and upheld the appeal, resulting in the current prison sentences for both the ex-Prime Minister and former Police Commissioner.
This case has been closely followed since its initiation, particularly due to the political stature of the accused individuals. Bainimarama served as Prime Minister twice, ruling the country until the December 2022 elections when he was succeeded by the current Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka. Refer to
publication from Jurist for a more detailed account on his political journey.
For more detailed coverage and updates on this case, see the complete news piece on
JURIST.