Suva, Nov 26: Mobile phone records reveal the full extent of the plot behind Fiji's 2000 coup, including a revelation that one of the accused phoned his girlfriend and told her of the planned armed seizure of Parliament before it occurred, the Fiji High Court was told here today.
The claim came from prosecutor Peter Ridgway as the long delayed treason trial of politician Timoci Silatolu and journalist Jo Nata got underway before Justice Andrew Wilson .
Both men pleaded not guilty to single charges of treason.
The trial is related to George Speight's 2000 coup in which he led a group of soldiers and seized parliament, taking then Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry and his government hostage.
This is the only court hearing involving the principle figures and Ridgway in his opening submission asserted the records of Vodafone Fiji and Telecom Fiji were crucial.
"In the hours before the attempted coup these two were on the phone to each other," he said. "Both were aware there was going to be a coup."
Ridgway also told the court that evidence would be given by Nata's girlfriend that he phoned her before the coup to tell her it was going to happen.
Bureau Report