Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama is expected to contact Tongan Prime Minister Lord Tuivakano today to seek the extradition of former 3FIR Commanding Officer, Lt Colonel Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba Mara after he fled to Tonga earlier this month.
Commodore Bainimarama said Lt Colonel Mara who is facing charges of sedition is now a fugitive after he was assisted by the Tongan Navy to get out of the country on the 9th of May.
Preliminary investigations show that the Tongan Navy's claims of answering to a search and rescue call out at sea is also misleading as Ratu Tevita Mara was illegally extracted from the Fiji waters, one nautical mile Northwest of Cape Washington in Kadavu whereas the Tongan Navy had claimed that they had answered to an SOS call in Southern Ono-I-Lau.
Following these international breaches, Commodore Bainimarama called on the Tongan royal family and the authorities to make the right decision now.
Commodore Bainimarama said Ratu Tevita Mara has breached his bail conditions and further action will now be taken.
He said some locals may also be involved in this illegal act.
The Tongan government has not made any comments at this stage.
In an earlier related story:
Former 3FIR Commanding Officer, Lt Colonel Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba Mara who is facing charges of sedition is now a fugitive after he was assisted by the Tongan Navy to flee the country a few days ago.
Prime Minister, Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama has announced that Lt Colonel Mara was assisted by the Tongan authorities who also entered the Fiji waters to pick him up.
Commodore Bainimarama stressed that the Tongan Navy's claims of answering to a SOS call out at sea is also misleading.
Commodore Bainimarama said Ratu Tevita Mara has breached his bail conditions and further action will now be taken, including the procedures to extradite Mara from Tonga.
The Prime Minister is concerned about the illegal extraction of Ratu Tevita Mara who is facing charges in court.
Story by: Vijay Narayan and Dreu Vukailagi
