Six inmates pardoned after serving up to 20 years

After two decades behind bars, Pauliasi Delaibatiki says he is both grateful and anxious to start over.

“I really do not know what to expect going back home, because the world is very different now from what I left 20 years ago,” he said quietly, moments after being released under a Presidential Pardon this week.

Delaibatiki, once serving a life sentence, was among six inmates pardoned by the State following recommendations by the Mercy Commission.

Their release marks a rare act of clemency for prisoners who have served between 15 and 20 years, demonstrated consistent good behaviour, and completed rehabilitation programs.

Reflecting on his time in prison, Delaibatiki said he has spent years trying to make peace with his past.

“There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about the crime I committed and the people I hurt. I was a very different person then — young and rebellious. It has taken me 20 years to become this new person, ready to give back to my family all those years I lost,” he said.

While behind bars, Delaibatiki discovered his passion for art under the mentorship of Jane Ricketts, a longtime volunteer who runs the Tagimoucia Art Gallery at the Fiji Corrections Service.

His talent flourished, and he became one of the gallery’s resident artists between 2012 and 2023 before moving to the Medium Corrections Centre, where he painted designs on wooden artefacts.

Now a recognised name in Fiji’s art community, he plans to continue his craft and set up a small workspace at the Pacific Harbour Art and Cultural Centre in Deuba, where he hopes to rebuild his life.

“I thank the Fiji Corrections Service and all the officers who taught me many valuable lessons. Art gave me purpose — and I want to use it now to earn an honest living,” he said.

The other pardoned inmates were Arneel Chandar Goundar of Navo, Nadi; Tiko Uate of Dratabu, Nadi; Tafizul Rahman of Drasa, Lautoka; Francis Narayan of Westfield, Nadi; and Timoci Ravurabota of Nailega, Namalata, Tailevu.

All six men were escorted home by Fiji Corrections Service (FCS) officers and reunited with their families in emotional scenes.

Acting Commissioner of Corrections, Sevuloni Naucukidi, congratulated them on their discipline and contributions to various prison programmes.

“We thank you for serving your sentences diligently and for helping contribute to the success of our rehabilitation programs — as work leaders in the tailor shop, as gang leaders in the farms, and as artists at the gallery,” he said.
“But let me warn you that the world out there is different from the one you left years ago. Go, be with your families, and stay away from the things that brought you here.”

Mr Naucukidi said all six men had reached Special Stage classification, the highest level of good behaviour, and were recommended for release by their commanding officers.

The Mercy Commission, which advises the President on pardons, considered each inmate’s time served and the circumstances surrounding their original offences before making its recommendation.