Francis Kean

Francis Frederick Kean (born 1966) [1][2] was the Commander of the Fijian Navy when, in 2006, he was charged with murder. He was convicted of manslaughter the following year.

Kean, whose brother-in-law, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, was the Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces and Interim Prime Minister at the time of these events, was arrested on 6 January 2006 and charged with the murder of salesman John Whippy at the Royal Suva Yacht Club, after a wedding reception for Whippy's nephew Samuel Whippy and his bride, Ateca Bainimarama, the Prime Minister's daughter, on 31 December 2006, the Fiji Sun reported. Kean had punched and kicked John Whippy following the latter's drunken insults against him. The attack resulted in Whippy's death.[3]

He appeared in Suva Magistrate's Court on 19 January and was remanded in custody at Korovou Prison till 2 February.[4] Magistrate John Semesi refused a request from Kean's lawyer, Abhay Singh, for bail, after Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Raymond Gibson said that Kean would be in a position to interfere with witnesses.[5] (An Indo-Fijian student witnessed the murder and was eventually murdered.) He also refused a request for Kean to be detained at a military barracks.[2] Lawyer Singh had claimed that Kean's life could be endangered if he were to be detained at Korovou, as Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit soldiers, whom Kean had helped prosecute for an army mutiny in 2000, were imprisoned there.[6][7]

Kean's second-in-command, Lieutenant Commander James Fisher, was named on 22 January to act in his stead.[2] Kean, meanwhile, remained on full pay, military spokesman Major Neumi Leweni revealed on 23 January.[8][9]

On 25 January, Justice Gerald Winter granted bail to Kean in the Suva High Court. In granting bail over the objections of the investigating officer, Inspector Alelia Volau (who had claimed in his affidavits that there was a considerable possibility that Kean would abscond if bailed), Winter imposed strict conditions, including the payment of F$1000 in surety (which two of his relatives paid)[10] and the surrender of his passport.[11] In addition, he was not to interfere with prosecution witnesses, had to be on good behaviour, and had to inform the State if he changed his home address. He had to report to the Nabua Police Station each Wednesday and Friday, and a 9 pm − 7 am curfew was imposed on him. He was also banned from visiting the military camp. Breach of the bail conditions would lead to imprisonment.

On 2 February Kean again appeared in court. The case was adjourned until 14 February, to be heard by Magistrate Aminiasi Katonivualiku,[12] after state lawyer Wilisoni Kurisaqila asked for more time to prepare full disclosures.[13]

In October 2007 he was sentenced to eighteen months imprisonment for manslaughter, after pleading guilty.[3] He was released, however, after only one week. The charges were reduced from murder to manslaughter because the only witness had been murdered.

In 2020 four prison officers accused Kean as the commissioner of the corrections service of routinely ordering the beating and mistreatment of prisoners.[14]