6. Civil coup Friday 19 May 2000

Speight of Violence 12

Since the coup, Suva has become a black hole where truth and light have been replaced with speculation, theory, and conspiracy. More than one well placed source can offer an explanation of what happened, complete with names of financiers and the 'real plotters' - such a familiar term these days - who stood in the shadows and were to come out later. This makes for entertaining chat at the Republic of Cappuccino coffee house where libel laws can be overlooked. This book requires more than rumour and in going to solid sources I confronted the severely limiting fact that no judicial or formal inquiry was held into the events of 19 May 2000. Several court trials provided only limited information and tended to focus on the role of the individual facing charges. In this account, I've drawn from various trials that followed, not least because of the court privilege attached to the information and names. Speculation comes later. The Daily Post's Mesake Koroi claimed later that the 'real plotters' included a woman and that they had all met in a house in Laucala Beach Estate in northern Suva. Court records point to a house at 8 Mitchell Street, on the edge of Suva's central business district, as coup headquarters. Dismal politician Iliesa Duvuloco rented the place and hosted a number of meetings with Speight, making it coup headquarters.

8 Mitchell Street. Pix Michael Field

On the theory that success has many fathers and failure is an orphan, no one, other than Speight so far, has been revealed as the inspiration for the coup.