Wikipedia

Rakuita Vakalalabure

Ratu Rakuita Saurara Vakalalabure (born 1962) is a Fijian lawyer and former politician who served as Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of Fiji from 2001 to 2004. In August 2004 he was convicted of participation in the 2000 Fijian coup d'état and sentenced to six years' imprisonment. He was the son of Ratu Tevita Vakalalabure, who served in both houses of Parliament from the 1970s to the 1990s.

Rakuita Vakalalabure
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of Fiji
In office
2001 – 3 December 2004
Succeeded byManasa Tugia
Member of the Fijian Parliament
for Cakaudrove West Fijian
In office
1 September 2001 – 3 December 2004
Preceded byKinijoji Maivalili
Succeeded byNiko Nawaikula
Personal details
Political partySoqosoqo ni Vakavulewa ni Taukei
Conservative Alliance

Education and early career

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Vakalalabure studied at the University of the South Pacific for a science degree in 1981 but left in 1983 to join the military and completed six tours of duty with the Fijian Military in South Lebanon reaching the rank of captain in the regular force. He went on to complete a law degree at Bond University in Queensland and post`graduate diploma in legal practice from A.N.U Canberra, Australia. Later received his master's degree in Law [Commercial and corporate law specializing in international trade and finance] from the University of London, England. After returning to Fiji, he served as a state prosecutor for four years under the then-Director of Public Prosecutions, Nazhat Shameem and three years as Legal advisor and Board Secretary for the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji. In an ironic twist, he was later to be convicted and sentenced for coup-related offences by Shameem, by then a judge.

Vakalalabure was also a reserve officer in the Fijian army, following secondment to the`civil service from the regular forces. He was dismissed by Military commander Commodore Frank Bainimarama for insubordination, for refusing to return to barracks while the 2000 coup was in progress. The dismissal was never formalised or sanctioned by any due process as required by military law.

Political career and conviction

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Vakalalabure was first elected to the House of Representatives of Fiji in a by-election in 1999. He was taken hostage in the 2000 Fijian coup d'état and accepted a role as Attorney-General in George Speight's government.[1][2]: 95 

He was re-elected in the 2001 Fijian general election in the Cakaudrove West Fijian Communal Constituency as a candidate for the Conservative Alliance (CAMV).[3]

During the trial of George Speight for treason, pressure grew for others involved in the coup to face justice.[4][5] In December 2002 the Fiji Law Society charged him with professional misconduct over his role in the 2000 coup,[6] accusing him of sedition and treason.[7] In March 2003 he was accused by the prosecution in Speight's trial of being an integral part of the coup.[8][9] Later that month he was arrested and charged with taking an illegal oath to commit a capital offence.[10][11] In April 2003 he was banned from practicing law for professional misconduct.[12] At his trial he claimed he had cooperated with the coup as he thought that Speight had effective control of the country.[13]

On 5 August 2004 he was convicted of taking an unlawful oath[14][15] and sentenced to six years imprisonment.[16][17] On 6 December 2004 he was formally expelled from Parliament for nonattendance.[16] The seat was filled without a by-election in June 2005.[18]

Vakalalabure appealed against his sentence, and in June 2006 the Supreme Court reduced it to four years.[19] He was subsequently released to serve the rest of his sentence extramurally.[20][21]

After completing his sentence Vakalalabure moved to the Cook Islands.[22]

References

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  1. ^ "Fiji treason trial shown video footage". RNZ. 28 November 2002. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  2. ^ Field, Michael; Baba, Tupeni; Nabobo-Baba, Unaisi (2005). Speight of Violence : Inside Fiji's 2000 coup (PDF). Canberra: Pandanus Books. ISBN 9781740761703. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  3. ^ "REPUBLIC OF THE FIJI ISLANDS PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS OF 25 AUGUST TO 1 SEPTEMBER 2001". Psephos. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  4. ^ "Fiji's citizen forum calls for justice over coup". RNZ. 3 December 2002. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  5. ^ "Fiji Labour Party wants more prosecutions over May 2000 coup". RNZ. 2 December 2002. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  6. ^ "Fiji deputy speaker faces professional misconduct charge". RNZ. 4 December 2002. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  7. ^ "Fiji's Speaker accused of sedition and treason". RNZ. 10 December 2002. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  8. ^ "Prosecution in Fiji treason trial claims parliament's deputy speaker was part of May 2000coup". RNZ. 7 March 2003. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  9. ^ "Treason trial prosecutor again names prominent Fiji people allegedly involved in 2000 coup". RNZ. 8 March 2003. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  10. ^ "Politician arrested over Fiji coup". Sydney Morning Herald. 21 March 2003. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  11. ^ "Fiji deputy Speaker arrested on coup related charges". RNZ. 22 March 2003. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  12. ^ "Fiji's deputy Speaker disbarred for professional misconduct". RNZ. 26 April 2003. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  13. ^ "Fiji's Vakalalabure's police statement on rebel oaths revealed". RNZ. 13 July 2004. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  14. ^ "Fiji coup president convicted". The Guardian. 5 August 2004. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  15. ^ "Fiji leaders convicted over coup". BBC News. 5 August 2004. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  16. ^ a b "Jailed Fiji deputy speaker loses parliamentary seat and office". RNZ. 3 December 2004. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  17. ^ Frenḳel, Yehonatan Shimʻon; Fraenkel, Jon; Firth, Stewart (2007). From election to coup in Fiji: the 2006 campaign and its aftermath. ANU E Press. p. 120. ISBN 978-0-7315-3812-6. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
  18. ^ "Fiji seat filled without by-election". RNZ. 23 June 2005. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  19. ^ "Fiji's jailed deputy speaker gets sentence cut". RNZ. 15 June 2006. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  20. ^ "Former deputy speaker of parliament in Fiji serves rest of sentence extramurally". RNZ. 19 June 2006. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  21. ^ "Chief's out of prison". Fiji Times. 30 June 2006. p. 1 – via EBSCOHost.
  22. ^ "FIJI: Former Speight coup sympathiser challenges Ratu Tevita Mara". Pacific Media Watch. 7 June 2011. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
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