Summary
George Speight (born 1957) is a Fijian politician who was the leader of the 2000 Fijian coup d'état.
Personal lifeEdit
Speight was born in 1957 in Naivicula, Fiji.[1] He is a graduate of the Andrews University, and a member of the Conservative Alliance-Matanitu Vanua party.[1][2][3] He is the brother of politician Samisoni Tikoinasau and the uncle of rugby player Henry Speight.[4]
Fiji coup of 2000Edit
Speight was the leader of the 2000 Fijian coup d'état.[2]
Speight's partner, Torika Rawlinson, told the student newspaper Wansolwara that the original intention had been to execute members of the deposed government the night before the coup actually took place. She denied others' reports that Indo-Fijian businessmen had been involved.[3]
Speight was sentenced to death, which was later commuted to life in prison.[4] As of 2006 he is serving his sentence at the Naboro Maximum Security Prison.[5]
A spokesman for deposed Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry said that he would be prepared to meet with Speight in principle.[6]
ReferencesEdit
- ^ a b George Speight at the Encyclopædia Britannica.
- ^ a b Edwin Nand (December 11, 2020). "No special treatment for George Speight". FBC News.
- ^ a b KELERA MUAVESI (27 March 2002). "'It could've been worse' — says Speight's Torika". Wansolwara (Print Edition). Archived from the original on 2005-11-09. Retrieved 2019-07-01.
- ^ a b FIJI: Sport - The 'Uncle George' Speight factor. Pacific Media Centre.
- ^ "Speight off Nukulau, now in Naboro". Suva, Fiji. The Fiji Times. 21 December 2006. Retrieved 6 August 2013.[dead link]
- ^ Shiri Lata-Nand (12 October 2004). "Chaudhry calls on Speight to come clean". Pacific Islands Report. Fiji Sun. Archived from the original on 19 June 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.