29 Jun 2004

Deposed Fiji PM questioned in Seniloli trial

2:52 pm on 29 June 2004

The Fiji prime minister deposed in the May 2000 coup, Mahendra Chaudhry, was questioned today on security measures ahead of the overthrow of his government.

Radio Fiji reports that the defence lawyer for in the treason trial of vice president Seniloli, Mehboob Raza, asked Mr Chaudhry whether he knew of plans for the coup before it happened.

Mr Chaudhry said he did, but added that he left the matter entirely to the then minister of home affairs to deal with.

Mr Chaudhry said three weeks before the coup the then police commissioner, Col Isikia Savua, briefed his cabinet that all insurgents had been dealt with and that there would be no coup.

Mr Chaudhry said the army commander gave the same assurance but their assurances were wrong.

Mr Raza asked Mr Chaudhry whether the Labour Party had informed him of rumours of a coup, and because he was also a victim of the 1987 Rabuka coup, whether he had asked the military to secure parliament.

Mr Chaudhry said it wasn't his job but that of the home affairs minister.

But the parliament security issue was abandoned after Justice Nazhat Shameem ruled that it had no relevance to the charge facing the accused.