Voreqe Bainimarama, former prime minister of Fiji, has been convicted for interfering in a criminal investigation while he was in power. Salesi Temo, presiding judge, sentenced the 70-year-old in Suva, the capital, to one year in prison.
Sitiveni Qiliho, suspended police commissioner, was also convicted for his involvement in the case.
Bainimarama was found guilty of one-count of attempt to pervert the course of justice, while Qiliho was found guilty of one-count of abuse of office.
Bainimarama, who led his government for 16 years, first as a military dictator following a 2006 coup and then as a democratically elected prime minister in 2014 and 2018, was prime minister in 2019 when he halted a police investigation into allegations of financial mismanagement at the University of the South Pacific.
The university, owned by 12 Pacific Island nations, had alleged to police that abuses of funding and mismanagement had been happening for a decade. Prosecutors claimed that Bainimarama and the police commissioner ended an active police investigation into former university staff members.
Although a lower court judge acquitted Bainimarama and Qiliho of the charges last October, prosecutors successfully appealed to the High Court, which convicted them both. Bainimarama’s wife, Mary Bainimarama, broke down in tears as the sentence was read out in court.
His lawyers plan to appeal, but the court rejected their application to have him released on bail pending an appeals court hearing. Bainimarama was led from court in handcuffs to a prison outside Suva.
Who is Voreqe Bainimarama
Voreqe Bainimarama is a Fijian politician and former naval officer who served as the prime minister of Fiji from 2007 until 2022. He is a member of the FijiFirst party, which he founded in 2014. Let’s delve into some details about his background:
Early Life and Military Career
Born on April 27, 1954, in Kiuva, Fiji, Voreqe Bainimarama attended Marist Brothers High School and later pursued studies at the Asian Institute of Technology and Dalhousie University.
He joined the Fijian Navy in 1975 and steadily rose through the ranks, eventually becoming a rear admiral. Bainimarama played a significant role in the 2000 coup and the subsequent 2006 coup in Fiji.
In 2006, he assumed the role of acting president of Fiji and later became the prime minister in 2007. During his tenure, Bainimarama implemented various policies and reforms, including the Essential National Industries Decree.
He faced challenges such as the 2009 constitutional crisis and led the country through natural disasters like Cyclone Winston and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite being suspended from Parliament, he served as the opposition leader from December 2022 until March 2023.
A magistrate court had acquitted Bainimarama and Qiliho of all charges in 2023, but the state filed an appeal against their acquittal.
