NEWSFLASH: Coup Leader Speight A Front Man?

Wednesday, 24 May 2000, 11:36 am
Article: Alastair Thompson

As the situation at the Fiji Parliamentary hostage seige appears to be deterioratying Fijilive.com is reporting some bizarre twists to the plot.

Earlier the newsagency - that has been broadcasting the inside story of the coup in real time - reported that the second in command among the coup plotters was a former British SAS officer who had returned to Fiji head a counter revolutionary unit.

Today Fijilive.com is reporting that George Speight, whom everybody believed to be the leader of the group, is in fact a ring-in, chosen for his communications abilities, and pulled into the coup plot at the last minute.

LINKS TO FIJILIVE.COM

http://www.fijilive.com - Breaking news from 'The Review' journos -
SOMETIMES OUT OF ACTION.
http://businessnews.com.fj - ALTERNATE SITE FOR FIJILIVE
http://rugby.com.fj/coup/ - ANOTHER ALTERNATE FOR FIJILIVE

TRANSCRIPTS OF LATEST FIJILIVE EXCLUSIVE REPORTS

Speight joined last minute

Colonel Bill, the man who claims to have planned and actually staged the coup to overthrow the Chaudhry government, says George Speight was a last minute addition to their plan.

Speaking to the media a while ago, Colonel Bill said Speight was invited to join them two days before the D-day. It’s believed Speight was brought in because of his exceptional communication skills.

Speight has not responded to Colonel Bill’s claims. However, earlier in the day, he said his task to overthrow the government was over and the indigenous Fijians could decide where they wanted to go.

'I planned Speight coup'

An armed man described only as Commander Bill, who is apparently ranking second in the military chain of command at the Parliamentary Complex, has warned of bloodshed if anyone uses any force to try and rescue the MPs.

Commander Bill said they have a counter plan if force is used. "We have a counter plan and that is to kill all hostages before anybody can come in and take them. That’s our main counter plan for anybody who wants to invade."

Commander Bill claims that he had planned the coup and George Speight was called in two days before they were to strike. Commander Bill currently reports to Colonel Ilisoni Ligairi, 60, a former British SAS trainer.

Commander Bill says no one should make any attempts to rescue the hostages with force. "I see no sense in anybody planning a raid here because they can just come and get the dead bodies."

Bill currently reports to Colonel Ilisoni Ligairi, 60, a former British SAS trainer.
Commander Bill says no one should make any attempts to rescue the hostages with force. "I see no sense in anybody planning a raid here because they can just come and get the dead bodies."

Ligairi is coup leader

The real Fiji coup leader is a Fiji special services soldier said to be loyal to former Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka.
Colonel Ilisoni Ligairi, 60, is the former British SAS soldier behind the coup on Friday as reported exclusively by fijilive.com on Saturday.

Colonel Ligairi was in charge of the Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit (CRWU) based at army headquarters and has trained in Britain.

Seven members of the CRWU are in Parliament while the rest of the unit is at the army base.

Rabuka himself revealed to local media that the coup makers are listening to the 'old man' rather than Speight. It is now established that the old man is Ligairi who was brought in by Rabuka in 1987 to set up the unit.

Watching the guards, there are noticeable differences between two groups within - one more volatile, easily stressed and casually clad, another cool and collected and keen to keep their identify secret - apparently the crack marksmen of the CRWU.

Rabuka has himself said that he talked to the unit before the coup took place, although he did not know the plans himself. He has also said that the unit soldiers cannot be bought.

TRANSCRIPT ENDS

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Alastair Thompson

Scoop Publisher

Alastair Thompson is the co-founder of Scoop. He is of Scottish and Irish extraction and from Wellington, New Zealand. Alastair has 24 years experience in the media, at the Dominion, National Business Review, North & South magazine, Straight Furrow newspaper and online since 1997. He is the winner of several journalism awards for business and investigative work.

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