Fiji’s former leader Bainimarama arrested and due in court

By NICK PERRY
Associated Press

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Fiji’s former leader Frank Bainimarama is due to appear in court Friday after both he and the nation’s suspended police commissioner were arrested and held overnight in jail. The development adds another twist to the volatile political situation on the Pacific island nation, where Bainimarama in December lost a tense election to Sitiveni Rabuka. Last month, Bainimarama was suspended from parliament for three years for insulting the president, and this week he resigned from parliament in protest. Bainimarama and Sitiveni Qiliho each face a single charge of abuse of office. Prosecutors claim the pair terminated an active police investigation into former staff members of the University of the South Pacific.