Peceli Rinakama
Encyclopedia
Peceli Rinakama is a politician in Fiji
and a former member of the Parliament of Fiji
.
for the Fijian Association Party
. During the 2000 Fijian coup d'état, he joined the Cabinet
of George Speight
. As a result, he was refused entry to New Zealand in 2003 due to his involvement in the coup. Following the coup, he switched his allegiance to the Conservative Alliance
, but failed to win re-election in the 2001 election.
In 2003, he alleged that the Soqosoqo ni Vakavulewa ni Taukei
(SVT) party was behind the 2000 coup, and that it had plotted to overthrow the government of Mahendra Chaudhry
even before it took office. Shortly afterwards he was charged with taking an unlawful oath for purporting to join Speight's Cabinet, and in 2004 he was convicted and sentenced to three years imprisonment. He was granted early release for good behaviour in December 2005, having served half his sentence.
In 2005 it was alleged that Rinakama had benefitted from a US$13 million fraud in the agriculture ministry in 2001.
. All charges against him were withdrawn in December of that year.
. He has not been seen since, and there are fears he has been disappeared.
On 11 March 2010, the Fijian government admitted that Rinakama was in custody, though they would not say where or what for. On 12 March, they claimed he had been released. Despite this, he has not been seen by family or friends, and there are significant fears for his safety.
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
and a former member of the Parliament of Fiji
Parliament of Fiji
Fiji's Parliament is bicameral. The House of Representatives has 71 members. 25 of these are elected by universal suffrage. The remaining 46 are reserved for Fiji's ethnic communities and are elected from communal electoral rolls: 23 Fijians, 19 Indo-Fijians, 1 Rotuman, and 3 "General electors"...
.
2000 coup and aftermath
Rinakama was elected to Parliament in the 1999 election, representing the constituency of NaitasiriNaitasiri (Fijian Communal Constituency, Fiji)
Naitasiri Fijian Provincial Communal is an electoral division of Fiji, one of 23 communal constituencies reserved for indigenous Fijians....
for the Fijian Association Party
Fijian Association Party
The Fijian Association Party is a former political party in Fiji. It played a significant role in Fijian politics throughout the 1990s, but lost all of its seats in the House of Representatives in the parliamentary election of 2001....
. During the 2000 Fijian coup d'état, he joined the Cabinet
Cabinet (Fiji)
Fiji has the Westminster system - executive authority is vested nominally in a President, but exercised in practice by a Cabinet of Ministers, presided over by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is formally appointed, but not chosen, by the President: the President must appoint as Prime...
of George Speight
George Speight
George Speight , occasionally known as Ilikimi Naitini, was the principal instigator of the Fiji coup of 2000, in which he kidnapped thirty-six government officials and held them from May 19, 2000 to July 13, 2000...
. As a result, he was refused entry to New Zealand in 2003 due to his involvement in the coup. Following the coup, he switched his allegiance to the Conservative Alliance
Conservative Alliance (Fiji)
The Conservative Alliance was a far-right political party in Fiji, and a member of the ruling coalition government. It was commonly known as the CAMV, a combination of the initials of its English and Fijian names...
, but failed to win re-election in the 2001 election.
In 2003, he alleged that the Soqosoqo ni Vakavulewa ni Taukei
Soqosoqo ni Vakavulewa ni Taukei
The Fijian Political Party is a party which dominated politics in the 1990s and was the mainstay of coalition governments from 1992 to 1999, but which is currently without representation in the House of Representatives.-Origins:The party was founded in 1990 as the political...
(SVT) party was behind the 2000 coup, and that it had plotted to overthrow the government of Mahendra Chaudhry
Mahendra Chaudhry
Mahendra Pal Chaudhry is a Fijian politician and the leader of the Fiji Labour Party...
even before it took office. Shortly afterwards he was charged with taking an unlawful oath for purporting to join Speight's Cabinet, and in 2004 he was convicted and sentenced to three years imprisonment. He was granted early release for good behaviour in December 2005, having served half his sentence.
In 2005 it was alleged that Rinakama had benefitted from a US$13 million fraud in the agriculture ministry in 2001.
Assassination plot
In November 2007, Rinakama was one of ten people arrested and charged with conspiring to assassinate Fijian dictator Frank BainimaramaFrank Bainimarama
Commodore Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, CF, MSD, OStJ, Fijian Navy, known commonly as Frank Bainimarama and sometimes by the chiefly title Ratu , is a Fijian naval officer and politician. He is the Commander of the Fijian Military Forces and, as of April 2009, Prime Minister...
. All charges against him were withdrawn in December of that year.
Disappearance
On 5 March 2010 Rinakama was abducted by soldiers from a house in SuvaSuva
Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
. He has not been seen since, and there are fears he has been disappeared.
On 11 March 2010, the Fijian government admitted that Rinakama was in custody, though they would not say where or what for. On 12 March, they claimed he had been released. Despite this, he has not been seen by family or friends, and there are significant fears for his safety.