Former Fiji PM's vehicle confiscated, pension cut

Pacific Beat's Bruce Hill

Last Updated: Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:59:00 +1100

Former Fiji prime minister and two-time coup leader, Sitiveni Rabuka, has had his government pension cancelled by the interim government.

The man who staged Fiji's first ever coup in 1987 has had his benefits taken off him, including a government-supplied four wheel drive vehicle which was confiscated from him on the spot.

Last week the interim prime minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, announced that Fiji pensioners who criticise his government will have their pensions stopped.

Mr Rabuka told Radio Australia's Pacific Beat program he had to walk an hour back to his village when the soldiers who brought him a letter about his pension being cut took his vehicle while he was out picking coconuts.

"I was surprised because I knew I had not done anything detrimental to the progress of the government, so I was taken aback," he said.

"But being someone who has been in authority and understanding the chain of command there was no use arguing with the soldiers, they were just carrying out orders, so I said 'okay, if you can drop me back at the bridge I'll walk back to the village'."

He says he had previously received a letter explaining the decision to him.

"It informed me that all my entitlement and benefits had been terminated with affect of 18th of January, and they arrived at 12:05 on Tuesday the 19th," he said.

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