NGO helps police inquiry over bid against army chief
Title -- 4454 FIJI: NGO helps police inquiry over bid against army chief
Date -- 22 June 2004
Byline -- None
Origin -- Pacific Media Watch
Source -- Radio NZ International 22/6/2004
Copyright -- RNZI
Status -- Unabridged
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FIJI NGO HELPS POLICE INQUIRY INTO ATTEMPTS TO OVERTHROW ARMY COMMANDER
http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=10621
SUVA (RNZI Online/Pacific Media Watch): The executive director of the Citizens Constitutional Forum in Fiji says he had to release confidential information about an attempt to overthrow the army commander.
The Reverend Akuila Yabaki says he talked to the police commissioner because the commander, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, is facing an inquiry over counter allegations that he had planned to bring down the government.
Rev Yabaki says he was told by a senior army officer that members of the junior coalition partner, the Conservative Alliance Matanitu Vanua party, approached him to help seize the main army camp and overthrow the commander.
The allegations were made public some months ago but Rev Yabaki says he went to the police recently to discuss the issue.
"We thought then that we should release this information into the public domain as a counter-weight to what had been said about the commander. And, that information is also with the commissioner of police."
- Rev Akuila Yabaki
There have been changes made to the terms of reference for the inquiry into the actions of the commander.
© RNZI 2004
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