Lt. Col. Ratu Tevita Mara, a former high-ranking official in the Fijian government, fled to Tonga earlier this month while on bail on charges of plotting to overthrow the country’s military ruler, Commodore Frank Bainimarama.
While in hiding in Nuku’alofa, Mara has hurled a barrage of controversial claims at the Fijian government in which he has played a senior role since it seized power in a 2006 coup.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key suggested Mara might be welcome in New Zealand as he was technically no longer part of the regime and therefore should not remain on the list of officials banned under travel sanctions.
Based on this encouragement, Mara has started writing an application to file to Wellington.
However, he said he understood that offering political asylum would put New Zealand in a very “uncomfortable position.”
“Bainimarama won’t like it at all and he’ll unfortunately act against New Zealand to make that clear,” Mara said.
“That’s just the sad way that this guy works. He’s not rational so I’m afraid there could be any kind of random response.”
