Maciu Navakasuasua, one of the key people, who was directly involved in the 2000 coup, says Prime Min­ister Voreqe Bainimarama had nothing to do with that coup.

He dismissed National Federa­tion Party MP Parmod Chand’s claim that Mr Bainimarama had the keys to the armoury of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces and people should question where George Speight got the guns from. That statement implied Mr Baini­marama backed Speight in the coup.

But Mr Navakasuasua, a senior member of the ultra Fijian Na­tionalist Party, who was in the group that plotted and executed the coup, said the AK-47 and M-16 assault rifles plus pistols came from the armoury of the Coun­ter Revolutionary Warfare Unit which was separate to the main RFMF armoury.

Mr Bainimarama, he added, was not in the country at the time. He was in Norway on official duties, he said.

He said it was mischievous for Mr Chand to make unsubstanti­ated claims.

He said “the guns came from the CRW armoury over the fence, through the cassava plantation to Sukanaivalu Rd where we were waiting”.

The CRW managed its own ar­moury, it was the way it was set up before Mr Bainimarama became RFMF Commander, he said.

“It is ridiculous to suggest that Mr Bainimarama walked around with the keys to the armoury,” Mr Navakasuasua said.

He said he was the right-hand man for ultra-Nationalist leaders, Sakeasi Butadroka and Iliesa Du­vuloco.

For his part in the coup, Mr Na­vakasuasua was jailed for four years and spent most of that time on Nukulau Island.

He said people like Mr Chand should thank Mr Bainimarama and not criticise him because he saved the country from descend­ing into anarchy after the 2000 coup. Edited by Percy Kean

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