20 Dec 2006

Speight back in Fiji mainland jail

6:53 pm on 20 December 2006

The Fiji coup front man serving a life sentence for treason, George Speight, has been returned to a mainland prison after more than six years on Nukulau Island.

Also returned with him were other treason convicts and 20 soldiers serving jail sentences for their role in the 2000 coup and army mutiny.

Speight and the others were seen coming ashore in Suva in prison uniform escorted by prison officers and 20 soldiers.

All have been sent to the medium security wing of Naboro Prison about 15km west of Suva.

The military commander and Fiji's acting head of state since the coup, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, said this week he had had authorised the decommissioning of Nukulau Island prison because it was costing too much.