28 Apr 2005

State prosecutors yet to decide on whether prominent Fijians will be charged over coup

7:08 pm on 28 April 2005

Fiji police have indicated they are closing the net around a former Prime Minister and others implicated in the 2000 coup.

Sitiveni Rabuka, the former police commissioner, Isikia Savua, and a government senator, are among those who were named as coup perpetrators in a police statement by Lieutenant Colonel Viliame Seruvakula leaked this week.

The labour leader, Mahendra Chaudhry has heavily criticised the force, asking why it's taken so long for police to investigate those named in Lt Col Seruvakula's statement.

The police commissioner, Andrew Hughes, says any decision to lay charges is the responsibility of state prosecutors.

"That decision's ultimately going to be made by the DPP and we think we're just a few weeks away yet from forwarding our evidence to the DPP. So with the greatest of respect, that's not Mr Chaudhry's call, that's the call of the DPP.'"

Andrew Hughes.

Meanwhile, Mr Rabuka says he's not been approached by the police since he was interviewed extensively six months ago.

At the moment I do not expect to be interviewed again. They have done the interview. When they conducted the interview they had the Seruvakula statement with them.

Mr Rabuka has always maintained his innocence and says he's sick of living under a cloud.