A sixth man was discharged because of a lack of evidence.
All were accused of making seditious remarks in the weeks leading up to the disturbances, which left eight people dead and dozens of properties and business damaged.
One of the accused, Teisina Fuko, has told Radio Australia’s Pacific Beat program that he’s glad to have been found innocent after one of the longest criminal cases in the island nation’s history.
He blames the government for what happened saying they shouldn’t have adjourned for the year without delivering on their promise to advance democracy.
“That riot somehow started on its own,” he said. “We still blame the government for not sitting that day and that’s why the people were so uptight and started the riots.”
