Fiji's Former Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama Receives Suspended Prison Sentence

Fiji's High Court has handed a 71-year-old former Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama, a 12-month suspended prison sentence for making an unwarranted demand to a public official. This ruling makes Bainimarama the first person in Fiji to be convicted under this specific offence. The incident occurred in 2021 when Bainimarama was using his position as Prime Minister to pressure the country's Acting Police Commissioner into sacking two officers.

Key Takeaways:

• Voreqe Bainimarama, Fiji's former Prime Minister, has been found guilty of making an unwarranted demand to a public official, a charge under Fiji's Crimes Act that carries a maximum penalty of 12 years' imprisonment.
• Bainimarama used his position as Prime Minister in 2021 to pressure Acting Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu into sacking two officers, marking the first time someone has been convicted of this specific offence in Fiji.
• Bainimarama was sentenced to 12 months in prison, but the sentence was suspended for three years, meaning he will only go to jail if he recommits the offence within that period.
• Bainimarama's conviction comes as a separate case, in which he was jailed for perverting the course of justice, resulted in his release from prison six months into his one-year sentence, following a comprehensive review by the Fiji Corrections Service.
• Bainimarama resigned from Parliament in March 2023 after receiving a three-year suspension for sedition.

Statistics:

• Bainimarama was sentenced to 12 months in prison, but the sentence was suspended for three years.
• Bainimarama was found guilty of making an unwarranted demand to a public official in 2021.
• The maximum penalty for this charge is 12 years' imprisonment.
• Bainimarama resigned from Parliament in March 2023 after receiving a three-year suspension for sedition.
• Bainimarama was released from prison in November 2024 after serving six months of his one-year sentence for perverting the course of justice.

Sources:

• Fiji High Court
• Fiji Corrections Service
• Fiji Times
• Pacific Islands News Network (PANN)