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Issue No: 1020; 16 August 2001
Ministers in the elected government taken hostage last year by terrorists were to be executed by the terrorists. And the terrorists were funded by ethnic Indian businesses. These revelations have been made by a terrorist who had stormed the Parliament last year to take the elected government hostage. The Fiji Sun revealed the plot in a frontpage story today. The paper states: "Elected Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry and members of his government held hostages last year would have been killed if it wasn't for the presence in Parliament of former British SAS soldier, Ilisoni Ligairi." "The startling revelation was made yesterday by one of two civilians who accompanied gunmen that stormed Parliament on May 19 last year with coup frontman George Speight and held Mr Chaudhry and his government hostage for 56 days." "The gunman, Ameo Sauvuni, said the original plan was for Mr Chaudhry and all his government ministers to be executed." "He said heated debate erupted on several occasions inside the parliamentary complex as Mr Ligairi stood up against plans by some coup supporters to kill the hostages, including Mr Chaudhry." "He labelled such supporters as "criminal elements" who were allowed into the complex at the height of the hostage crisis." '"Naqase (Ligairi) was the stabilising factor in Parliament. If it wasn't for him, all the hostages would have been killed," Mr Sauvuni said." '"Most of the people in Parliament did not understand Naqase's decision and all they wanted was to lay their hands on the hostages." '"If Naqase and his CRW boys had withdrawn from parliament as was demanded by the military, it would have been a sad day for the country." '"There would have been more bloodshed and Fiji's reputation abroad would have been completely tarnished." "Mr Sauvuni was a close aide of the late Nationalist leader Sakeasi Butadroka and is originally from Nakula Village in Ra." "He said he was summoned to the National Stadium on the morning of May 19 last year, while he was in the middle of organising the Nationalist protest march through the capital that day." "On arrival, he met a group of men whom he recognised as CRW soldiers and George Speight." "They traveled from the stadium to parliament on board a white mini-bus." "Mr Sauvuni was a familiar face in parliament
throughout the crisis and was seen by journalists armed with a gun inside the
complex on several occasions. He said he believed that a number of wealthy
businessmen and politicians were behind the May 19 takeover as they were worried
about Mr Chaudhry threat to crackdown against corruption and tax evaders." |
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People's Coalition Government - Fiji Islands |
