Fiji coup leader George Speight has been arrested by
the army.
His media advisor Joe Nata, legal advisor Tevita
Bukarau and a body guard known as Cakau were also
detained.
Reports said Mr Speight, who plunged the country into
crisis when he and his followers stormed parliament on
19 May, was arrested for walking around with armed
body guards.
Independent FM96 radio said shots were fired, but it
was not clear where, or at whom.
Mr Speight and his gunmen were granted a broad
amnesty in a deal signed with the military earlier this
month.
The amnesty was dependent on all weapons
stolen by the rebels being returned to the military.
Mr Speight's arrest comes a day before the scheduled announcement of Fiji's
new
government.
Mr Speight sparked a political crisis 10 weeks ago
when he took Fiji's first ethnic Indian prime
minister, Mahendra Chaudhry, and members of
his multi-racial government hostage.
He said the country should be run by indigenous Fijians
and demanded that the large Indian population be
stripped of political power.
Mr Speight released his hostages two weeks ago,
but has threatened new unrest across Fiji if the
nationalist Adi Samanunu Cakobau is not made prime
minister in place of the military-backed caretaker
premier, Laisenia Qarase.
Fiji's military has stepped up its presence across the
troubled nation in case of violence prompted by the
naming of the cabinet.
A presidential aide, Suliasi Turagabeci, said the line-up
had been settled and would be announced on Thursday.
"The military has already deployed troops around the
country in anticipation of what could be a violent
reaction to the naming of the new cabinet," military
spokesman Lieutenant Alipate Mataitini told Fiji
Television.
It had been hoped the new government would be
announced on Wednesday after meetings between Mr
Speight, Fiji's military and President Ratu Josefa Iloilo.
But reports said the naming had been postponed to
allow for more last-minute talks between the three
sides.
Radio FM96 and the website www.fijilive.com said the
new government would be sworn in on Friday, with Mr
Qarase at its head. But the reports could not be
confirmed.
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last revision July 26, 2000