Fiji's military chief was still in control of the country but his whereabouts were being concealed for security reasons, an army spokeswoman said after reports of gunfire from the main barracks of the capital, Suva, on Saturday. Commander Frank Bainimarama staged a bloodless coup on Tuesday, toppling the government of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase, claiming it was corrupt and soft on those behind the last coup in 2000. Fiji has had four coups since 1987. Bainimarama was almost killed in a bloody, but failed mutiny following the 2000 coup. The military chief was forced to escape from the Suva barracks over a fence and into bushes. A Reuters witness and local residents heard sustained gunfire on Saturday in the Queen Elizabeth barracks on a hilltop overlooking Suva and said it continued for about 30 minutes. Military spokesman Major Neumi Leweni later confirmed firing inside the barracks but said it was an unscheduled shooting exercise and that people should not be alarmed.
