Former Land Force Commander, Pita Driti has been sentenced to 5 years imprisonment by presiding judge, Justice Paul Madigan.
After highlighting the facts of the case in the packed court room, Justice Madigan told Driti to stand up.
He said inciting to mutiny is a very serious offence.
Justice Madigan started the sentence at 6 years and then added four years for the aggravating factors.
He then deducted 5 years off the sentence.
Justice Madigan said that Pita Driti is sentenced to 5 years imprisonment and has to serve 4 years before he is eligible for parole.
The prosecution’s case was that Driti made comments to junior officers between August to October 2010 that the Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum should be removed as he was influencing the Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama too much.
It also brought evidence to prove that Driti shared the Sudan plan with Lieutenant Colonel Manasa Tagicakibau.
The plan was to cancel Prime Minister and Army Commander Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama’s passport when he went to Sudan, not to allow him back in the country, go to the President and dissolve the government, remove the President if he did not agree to follow the plan, appoint an interim administration made up of the former SDL party including the Great Council of Chiefs and the Methodist Church, detain and send the Bainimarama family to another country and bring in troops from Australia and NZ to secure the border to contain any internal conflicts from disgruntled people.
Prosecution Queens Counsel Audrey Moffat also presented evidence to prove that Driti also met with Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba Mara where plans were discussed in September and October 2010.
Evidence was also presented about the unaccounted weapons and ammunition that was being piled up at the Grand Pacific Hotel site in 2010.
The weapons and ammunition were significantly more than the soldiers based at the site.
Pita Driti had confirmed in court during the trial that he had made comments about the Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and asked intelligence cells to track Sayed Khaiyum and report to him.
He also said he said to junior officers that Sayed-Khaiyum was influencing the Prime Minister in government decisions.
However, Driti denied saying to Lieutenant Colonel Tagicakibau that the Attorney General had to be eliminated by Christmas 2010.
Driti said that the options were allegedly brought up by Brigadier General Mohammed Aziz as he was the initiator.
Driti alleged that Ratu Tevita Mara was the messenger.
He also claimed that he did not report to the Army Commander about the plans as he thought that it was a set up by Aziz.
The maximum sentence for inciting to mutiny is 15 years imprisonment.
Story by: Vijay Narayan
