For the first time, the wheels of justice have finally begun to turn in the right direction, says former opposition leader Mick Beddoes.

His comments came following the incarceration of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and former commissioner of police Sitiveni Qiliho last week.

Mr Beddoes hoped that the DPP and the police would continue to probe every aider, abettor and enabler who remains embedded in the Government system today.

“But today, for the first time in a long time the wheels of justice have finally begun to turn in the right direction,” Mr Beddoes said.

“Am I elated about the sentence handed down today? Not really, because I immediately reflect on the abuse of power and authority that Bainimarama imposed and dispensed against our late former prime minister Laisania Qarase.

“I think about the despicable treatment he dished out to the late Dr Brij Lal and his family by denying them the right to bring his remains home, to his treatment of the late Father Kevin Barr and many others, myself included.”

Mr Beddoes mentioned the merciless beatings Bainimarama encouraged his men to do against escaped prisoners, “which we all watched on video, and the merciless beating and deaths of many citizens detained by his regime”.

“I also reflected on my April 10, 2024 post on the supremacy of our Constitution and the dysfunctional values it espouses in which I referred to a citizen’s sentence.

“Quote: ‘A good example that demonstrates the ‘extreme’ dysfunction of our values when assessing the appropriate punishment to fit the crime, is the case of a 35-year-old who was sentenced in 2018 to 12 months imprisonment for stealing a number 14 chicken. His sentence was reduced to three months imprisonment after he returned the stolen chicken.

“Consider this a No 14 Crest Chicken today costs about $18.95, so his sentence for stealing one chicken was one month for every $1.58 in value of the chicken.

“Compare this with what Bainimarama and Qiliho did as well as the Bainimarama act of treason on December 5, 2006, which was an attack on our democracy that cost the people and the country $9billion plus in losses and damage.

“Yet they received ‘immunity’ from prosecution (by order of themselves, for themselves) and will never spend a day in prison for their capital crime and this is one of the core values that our Constitution is based on.”

Mr Beddoes said they could not be held to account for their capital crimes of treason on December 5, 2006, as they were protected under Chapter 10 of the immunity provisions.

“This case demonstrates that they can be brought to account for attempting to pervert the course of justice and abuse of office as the Acting Chief Justice Salesi Temo has determined with his sentence on Thursday. But given that the charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice has a maximum sentence of five years and abuse of office carries a maximum tariff of 10 years, they are both lucky that Justice Temo decided on a slap-on-the-knuckle instead of a full sentence.”

Mr Beddoes said that was Justice Temo’s judgment and that was what he accepted.

“The point is they have been both brought to account for their crimes, and like every other person who breaks the law, you do the crime, so you do the time.

“Moving forward from here, I hope that the DPP and the police continue to probe every aider, abettor, and enabler, many of whom are known, who remain embedded in the Government system today.

“Remember that Bainimarama and former A-G Khaiyum (Aiyaz) and others issued the orders against citizens and their opponents in Fiji, but they never personally carried out those orders that were done by the hundreds of aiders, abettors, and enablers who carried out their instructions even knowing they were against the law. It was wrong and unjust and cruel, but they did it anyway.

“So, they must all be brought to account, including all appointees to government agencies and institutions who used their positions to abuse their authority. So long as they are allowed to continue without any accountability for their part, they will continue to delay, deflect, and disrupt the Government’s ability to deliver on its promises to the people.”