Driti now remanded in custody as he awaits his sentencing

Former Land Force Commander, Pita Driti is now remanded in custody as he awaits his sentencing next month.

Presiding judge, Justice Paul Madigan rejected the opinion of the three assessors earlier this afternoon and found 53 year old Driti guilty of inciting to mutiny.

Driti is remanded in custody and he will return to court on the 10th of next month for mitigation and sentencing.

While handing down his ruling in the packed court room, Justice Madigan asked Driti to stand up and said that he found prosecution witness, Lt Colonel Manasa Tagicakibau to be an honest and convincing witness.

The High Court Judge said that Tagicakibau told the court of meetings with Driti in which he was asked not once but at least twice to use his private intelligence cell to conduct surveillance on the Attorney General.

Justice Madigan said the request was to get information to discredit the Attorney General and to “bring him down”. 

He said that this coupled with the stated perception of Tagicakibau that whatever had been said by Driti as to removal or elimination, Tagicakibau had the impression that the Attorney General's life was to be taken.

Justice Madigan then stated that he finds that he does not believe Pita Driti's evidence. 

He said that Driti was evasive, divertive, petulant and ungracious. 

Justice Madigan said that Driti contradicted himself and gave evidence that was incapable of belief.

 

The judge further stated that he cannot believe that Driti knew nothing of any plans until Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba Mara visited him in mid September. 

Justice Madigan said that Driti was before that time, on his own admission, receiving official and unofficial intelligence reports on at least a weekly basis.

The presiding judge stated that Driti was taking active steps to impugn the reputation of the Attorney General and to bring about the downfall of Army Commander Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama's administration. 

Justice Madigan highlighted that Driti was having the Attorney General tailed, making enquiries about his social connections and his income. 

The judge added that Driti was calling into aid the head of a crack platoon of armed combat specialists, Tevita Korovou. 

Justice Madigan said whatever may have been said in the meeting between Driti and Korovou in 2010, Korovou told the court that he came away from it with the distinct impression that there was going to be another coup.

Judge Madigan said the fact given in evidence by Driti that on hearing of the plan he did nothing but stand back and consider it without reporting it to the Commander, does not serve him well. 

The presiding judge said that thinking the plan may have been a set up did not lead to Driti to take appropriate steps to deal with a possible set up. 

Justice Madigan said and I quote “Asking the purported architect of the plan: is this a set up? does nothing to create confidence in Driti's evidence” end quote.

He said the case against Pita Driti is overwhelming and convicted him of inciting to mutiny.

 

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 Lt Colonel Manasa Tagicakibau. 

The plan was to cancel Prime Minister and Army Commander, Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama's passport when he goes to Sudan, not to allow him back in the country, go to the President and dissolve the government, 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 Cambpell-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 has also been 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 confirmed in court 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 Lt 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 alleges 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.