Runaway former Fijian army chief colonel Ratu Tevita Mara has returned to his home country after he fled to Tonga in 2011.
He was charged for attempting to overthrow ousted Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama’s government in 2010.
Fiji media reports today March 9 said: “Former army officer, Ratu Tevita Mara, arrived in Fiji today – 12 years after seeking political asylum in Tonga”.
“It’s understood he will attend the installation of Ratu Epenisa Cakobau as Vunivalu tomorrow”.
Following Mara’s appearance in a Fijian court in 2011 for his charge and while released on bail his family contacted the Tongan royal family and asked to help rescued Mara.
Tongan navy under a royal order arrived in Lau group and secretly picked up Mara in May 2011.
Bainimarama’s regime was furious after it learnt Tongan navy crossed its sea zone and rescued Mara but the Tongan authorities officially said it was “attracted to a distress signal” south of the Fiji’s Lau groups, 365 kilometres west of Nuku’alofa.
Tevita Mara, the son of the late Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, former Fiji Prime Minister and President, was accused, along with Brigadier Pita Driti and Colonel Mohammed Aziz.
Driti was jailed on treason charges while Aziz assisted the prosecution and escaped trial.
Tevita Mara’s return came a day after Bainimarama resigned from Parliament just two weeks after copping a three-year suspension for making seditious comments.
Bainimarama, who was the opposition leader, made the announcement via a five-minute video on Facebook on Wednesday.
A former military coup leader, Mr Bainimarama led Fiji for almost 16 years before losing December’s general election to Sitiveni Rabuka, Fiji’s new prime minister.
Tevita Mara’s sister Adi Koila Mara married late Epeli Nailatikau, a grandson of Tongan King Siaosi Tupou II. Mara served as King Tupou VI’s private secretary while he was in Tonga.
