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Fiji's vice president convicted of involvement in 2000 coup
Published in Saudi Press Agency on 03 - 08 - 2004

Fiji's High Court convicted the vice president Thursday for his role in a 2000 nationalist coup that ousted the first ethnic Indian prime minister in this South Pacific islands nation.
Vice President Jope Seniloli was accused of backing the
two-month coup led by ethnic Fijian nationalist George
Speight, and briefly serving as the country's president.
Seniloli was convicted of administering an illegal oath of
office, for swearing in Speight and a group of ministers in
the rebel government.
The four other defendants, Parliament's Deputy Speaker
Rakuita Vakalalabure and three businessmen, were convicted
on the same charge.
Judge Nazhat Shamem ordered them detained pending
sentencing Friday.
The defendants claimed they were coerced into
participating in the coup by Speight, who said he wanted to
restore power to indigenous Fijians.
But prosecutors said they weren't forced and that Seniloli
knew about the coup before it took place on May 19, 2000.
There was no immediate reaction to the verdicts from the
democratically elected government of Prime Minister
Laisenia Qarase. Fiji security forces were on high alert
around the capital, Suva, after warning that no protests
would be tolerated in the racially divided country.
The streets of the capital remained quiet in the wake of
the court findings.
Seniloli had been a minor provincial administrator and
traditional chief in Tailevu province, where Speight and
other key coup plotters hailed. He was sworn in as
president after Speight overthrew Prime Minister Mahendra
Chaudhry _ an ethnic Indian _ but only held the role
briefly.
--More
1145 Local Time
0845 GMT


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