George Speight's lawyer arrested by Fiji police

5.00 pm

The American hired by Fiji coup leader George Speight to represent him in a treason case relating to last year's coup has been arrested by police in the city of Lautoka.

Navin Naidu – a self-proclaimed lawyer from Seattle, Washington - was taken in for questioning last night for suspected fraud and for allegedly presenting fake papers in his submission to Fiji's High Court for temporary admission to the Fiji bar.

The Singapore-born Naidu had presented documents claiming he was a law graduate of the University of London and other documents indicating that he was a prosecutor of Freedom County in Washington.

Assistant Police Commissioner for Crime, Moses Driver, said police took Naidu in after verification with Interpol in London and the London University that the documents were fake.

On Monday, his application for a temporary permit to practice in Fiji courts was denied by Chief Justice Sir Timoci Tuivaga.

Speight and 12 others face a single treason charge which lists 13 "overt acts" relating to the storming of Fiji's Parliament on May 19 last year and the holding of Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry and his Government hostage.

Naidu's arrest means Speight will be without a lawyer for the second time in two weeks.

On the first day of the committal proceedings in the treason case last month, Speight sacked his lawyer, Rabo Matebalavu, forcing Chief Magistrate Salesi Temo to adjorn the hearing while Speight found another lawyer.

On Monday in the Fiji Magistrate's Court, Temo again adjourned proceedings - which are intended to assess whether there is enough evidence to proceed with the case in the High Court - for a month after Naidu failed to show up.

Speight told the court he would need at least a month to find an overseas lawyer, as no local lawyer was prepared to represent him.

- FIJI VILLAGE NEWS

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