Former Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, aged 70, was sentenced to a year in prison by Acting High Court of Fiji Chief Justice Salesi Temo for attempting to pervert the course of justice. The sentencing took place in the capital Suva following a conviction related to interfering in a criminal investigation during his tenure as prime minister.
Additionally, Suspended Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho received a 2-year prison sentence for abuse of office. The charges stemmed from allegations that Bainimarama and Qiliho had prematurely ended a police investigation into financial mismanagement at the University of the South Pacific, an institution owned by 12 Pacific Island nations.
Bainimarama, who had led the Fijian government for 16 years, initially came to power through a military coup in 2006 before being democratically elected as prime minister in 2014 and 2018. Following the 2022 election, he was succeeded by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, who had also seized power through a coup in 1987.
Despite being acquitted of the charges by a lower court judge in October, Bainimarama and Qiliho were convicted by the High Court after prosecutors successfully appealed the decision. The court's ruling led to Bainimarama being taken into custody immediately following the sentencing, with his lawyers indicating their intention to appeal the verdict.
As Bainimarama was led away in handcuffs to a prison outside Suva, his wife Mary Bainimarama reportedly broke down in tears in court. The case has drawn significant attention in Fiji, with the possibility of further charges being laid as the police continue their investigation into the matter.
