Frank Bainimarama (file image) Photo: Supplied
Any hopes Fiji's former Prime Minister had of a political comeback fizzled on Thursday when he was convicted in the Suva High Court of another corruption charge.
Frank Bainimarama - who originally seized power in a military coup in 2006 - was found guilty of one count of unwarranted demand by a public official.
He is the first person in Fiji to be convicted under this specific charge, according to a statement by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
The former military commander could face up to 12 years in jail, which is the maximum penalty for the offence.
In April, Bainimarama's right-hand man claimed it was possible he could contest the general election next year.
Former Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum told RNZ Pacific at the time that Bainimarama hoped to have his earlier conviction for perverting the course of justice quashed by the Court of Appeal.
Sayed-Khaiyum claimed the people wanted Bainimarama back and this would pave the way for him to stand in the election.
However, High Court Judge Thurshara Rajasinghe found Bainimarama guilty on Thursday of making an unwarranted demand with menace to the then-Acting Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu.
A statement released by the ODPP said that between 21 May 2021 and 18 August 2021, the former prime minister threatened to remove Tudravu from his job unless he sacked two police officers, namely Sergeant Penieli Ratei and Police Constable Tomasi Naulu.
In the same court proceeding, Justice Rajasinghe acquitted the then-Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho of two counts of abuse of office.
It was alleged that Qiliho had abused his authority between 5 and 18 August 2021 ordering the termination of the two police officers' jobs.
Bainimarama's case has been adjourned for mitigation and sentencing submissions next Thursday, 9 October.
He is expected to be sentenced on 14 October.
A decision on whether the prosecution will appeal the acquittal of Qiliho is yet to be made.
Bainimarama was head of Fiji's military in 2006 when he staged the country's fourth coup in 20 years.
He deposed the late Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase and became Prime Minister in 2007.
However, Bainimarama returned Fiji to democracy with a general election in 2014.
His now-deregistered FijiFirst Party had a landslide victory in that election, the first in eight years.
But the administration was accused of being dictatorial due to allegations of bullying, intimidation of opponents, human rights abuses, and suppression of the media.
He won the election for a second time in 2018, but only managed to secure a little over 50 percent of the total votes to lead a majority government.
Bainimarama attempted to consolidate his power as Fiji's longest-serving Prime Minister in 2022, while going up against his arch-rival, former military strongman and coup leader Sitiveni Rabuka.
However, despite being the largest party in parliament, he failed to secure the majority of seats and a coalition government was needed. The result hinged on kingmaker Viliame Gavoka, then-leader of the Social Democratic Liberal Party (Sodelpa).
Sodelpa chose to go into a coalition with Rabuka's People's Alliance and the National Federation Party, and ousted Bainimarama's government ending his 16-year reign.
Bainimarama resigned from parliament in March 2023 after copping a three year suspension for sedition.
He was jailed in May last year, alongside Qiliho, for perverting the course of justice.
The two were involved in blocking a police investigation involving the University of the South Pacific in 2021.
However, Bainimarama was released from prison last November, just six months into his one-year sentence, following a comprehensive review by the Fiji Corrections Service (FCS).
In a statement, the FCS said that section 46(3) of the Corrections Act, allowed for early release of inmates based on specific criteria that ensure both the security of the community and the facilitation of an inmate's reintegration.
Qiliho was released from jail on 8 September this year.
