Former Fiji PM Bainimarama sentenced to year in jail
Fiji's former long-serving prime minister, Frank Bainimarama, received a one-year prison sentence for perverting the course of justice, as confirmed by the country's director of public prosecutions on Thursday. Initially, Bainimarama had avoided imprisonment during sentencing last month, but this decision was reversed on appeal.
A former military chief, Bainimarama assumed power through a coup in 2006 and subsequently won democratic elections in 2014 and 2018. However, he was found guilty this month by the High Court of attempting to pervert the course of justice while serving as prime minister. This charge stemmed from allegations that he instructed the then police commissioner, Sitiveni Qiliho, not to investigate corruption claims at the University of South Pacific in the region.
Court documents revealed Bainimarama's involvement in attempting to hinder the investigation into graft allegations. At the same hearing, Qiliho was also sentenced to two years in prison for abuse of office, according to a statement from Fiji's Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Bainimarama's loss of power occurred in December 2022 when a coalition of parties led by the current prime minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, narrowly defeated him.
Comments