Fiji treason trial summed up

Nature provided exclamation points in a Fiji High Court treason trial yesterday as Australian Justice Andrew Wilson began summing up to peals of thunder at key moments.

The judge had the transcription service note for the record the various interjections from the heavens and stressed that he did not believe they were a comment on the guilt or innocence of the two accused.

Before Wilson and five assessors were journalist Jo Nata and politician Timoci Silatolu, each facing a treason charge linked to the May 19, 2000, coup led by George Speight.

Speight was later arrested and convicted of treason.

His death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.

The hearing of evidence was completed last week and Wilson said he expected to send the assessors away tomorrow, warning them that they might be locked up until they reached a verdict.

The five assessors do not have to reach a joint verdict, although they try for that. Each assessor is polled in court for a verdict and the verdict, either unanimous or majority, is then considered by the judge, but he is not bound by it.