Chief spy tells of plan to replace commander - Fiji Times

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Chief spy tells of plan to replace commander
Shalveen Chand
Friday, February 05, 2010

AN interim administration had planned to replace military commander Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama after his proposed assassination, the head of Fiji's Military Intelligence Unit Major Isireli Narawa told the High Court in Suva.

Major Narawa, the second prosecution witness in the conspiracy to assassinate Cmdr Bainimarama, Mahendra Chaudhry and Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum trial gave evidence that he met the first accused, Ratu Inoke Takiveikata, at the Sofitel Resort in Nadi in 2007 where the plans to assassinate the commander were made known to him.

He said that when he reached Sofitel he asked the reception to call the Qaranivalu's room.

"The voice said Major, I told him that I wanted to speak to the Qaranivalu, Qaranivalu spoke and it was confirmed that the person who had earlier spoken to me was Ballu Khan. I told him that I wouldn't want Ballu Khan to be in the meeting between him and I, which the Qaranivalu acknowledged," said Major Narawa.

He said he then went up to Ratu Inoke's room and was invited in.

"Qaranivalu stated that they had the backing of the vanua and an interim administration had been planned, we basically need to get the prime minister (Cmdr Bainimarama) out, to kill him."

Major Narawa told the court that Ratu Inoke also informed him that a number of churches in Kinoya, Nabua and Cunningham had been organised to carry out a rally on that day.