Seniloli release an endorsement of Fiji coup: army

[[posted 1 Dec 2004,1300]

The early prison release of Vice President Ratu Jope Seniloli represents an endorsement of the 2000 coup, the Fiji Military Forces said.

Military spokesman Captain Neumi Leweni said what had happened made a mockery of the military, police and more importantly the judicial system.

"It is an insult to our sense of justice and the rule of law. All effort must be made to stop this rot," said Capt Leweni. "We are falling fast into the abyss and if nothing is done about this quickly we will continue falling never to recover."

Captain Leweni said the release from prison of the Vice President last Friday after only three months brought confusion to a situation that everyone had tried to straighten out in the last four years.

"The RFMF is confused with the decision, also the fact that he is still being fully paid with no clear indication of his status. "He is back in the official residence of the VP with all the perks, the car, the staff, the police staff and entourage. It's as if there was no court case and no conviction."

The army said it understood that politicians had agendas to fulfil to keep them in power but to have those political agendas extended to the highest office of the land under some legal framework was very insulting to everyone and lent no credibility to the nation and its people.

"It is a ploy to slowly gather the support of the same people that gathered in droves at the parliamentary complex in 2000." The army warned of a return to the events of 200 should the Attorney-General Bale did continued.

"The worst case scenario is a return to the mayhem of 2000 for this will be the final outcome if the AG is given free reign to continue what he is doing. We can all guess what is next on the agenda."