- Kill suspect soldier ‘hated Commander’
- State witness blames Police
Kill suspect soldier ‘hated Commander’
One of the soldiers accused of being part of an alleged plot to kill Fiji’s military commander and Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama hated Bainimarama and wanted him killed, a fellow soldier has told the High Court.
State witness Sevuloni Kedreli was testifying during the trial of eight people accused of plotting to assassinate Bainimarama, Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and then Finance Minister Mahendra Chaudhry in 2007.
Kedreli said during a meeting in Nadi in September 2007, he and other soldiers were briefed by two other, then Counter Revolutionary Warfare (CRW) soldiers Feoko Gadekibau and Barbados Mills and IT consultant Sivaniolo Naulago. All three are among the eight accused.
When asked what Mills had told the men, Kedreli quoted Mills as allegedly saying, “I don’t like this man because of what he is doing”. Kedreli confirmed that Mills was referring to Bainimarama.
Kedreli told the court the only reason he was involved was because he was asked by alleged military spy Corporal Peniasi Kuli to help in locating arms that had gone missing from the Parliament complex during the 2000 coup.“I agreed to help because we are related,” Kedreli testified. “He wanted me to obtain information from the CRW guys on the missing arms,” he said.
During a second meeting at the Fijian Teachers Association hall in Suva, Kedreli claimed Naulago confirmed that plans were well in place and arrangements were being made to get weapons.
He added that Naulago had requested millionaire businessman Ballu Khan to bring in 30 weapons to carry out the alleged plot.
FijiVillage similar report link.
State witness blames Police
A state witness in the trial of eight men who allegedly plotted to assassinate Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama today suggested in Court that the Police didn’t write his statement properly.
Territorial Force soldier Sevuloni Kaidreli made the suggestion after defence lawyer Akuila Naco told him that his evidence in court was different from his statement to Police. Kadreli said police officers who interviewed him may not have written his statement properly. However, he maintained that he was not lying to the court and that he wasn’t coached to say what he was telling the court.
Kaidreli also failed to corroborate the testimony given by a fellow military intelligence officer.
The officer, Saula Lasagavibau, had told the court yesterday that he was present at meeting in Nausori with the alleged plotters.
But Kaidreli says he couldn’t remember or recall seeing Lasagavibau at the Nausori meeting they held with the accused.
The case will resume on Monday. FBCL Link.
No comments are allowed on this case until the trial concludes.
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