The former Fiji prime minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, says the delegation to ask the former president, the late Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, to step down during the 2000 coup, was a necessity.
Mr Rabuka was part of the delegation which asked Ratu Mara to step down and enable the military commander, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, to orm an interim military government.
Fiji police regard the late President's removal as one of the key outstanding files in investigations into the coup.
Mr Rabuka insists that when they went to see Ratu Mara there was no misunderstanding about what they wanted him to do.
"We had a very good and frank discussion on the boat. And everything that transpired was with his agreement. He was not being fooled. He in fact said that if once he handed over to the military and the military wanted to restore the country to civillian rule, he should not be approached to be the next president. He felt that the country had rejected him."
Sitiveni Rabuka
