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Coup leader George Speight, with tears streaming down his face after filing his nominations for Fiji's August general election, vowed "I'll be back".
Charged with treason, Speight and co-accused Ratu Timoci Silatolu were permitted by the Suva magistrates to file their nominations for the election after arguing that it was their democratic right.
But in another development, the Fiji high court, in response to an appeal by the prosecution later the same day, ruled that the magistrate's court has no authority to grant freedom to coup plotters to file their nomination papers in person.
But even before the high court order, the two were taken to Nausori under heavy police guard to the returning officers for filing their nominations in person.
Chief Magistrate Salsei Temo had also ruled that they be present at the returning officer's office on Friday for objections against their nominations.
This decision too has been overturned by the high court.
Speight, who applied to contest the Tailevu North Fijian Provincial Communal seat, said he did so on the urging of the constituency from which he hails.
He signed his nomination form as Ilikimi Naitini.
Indo-Asian News Service
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