A former commander of the Fiji military's Land Force, Lt Col Jone Baledrokadroka, has denied in the Suva High Court that he ordered the alleged beating of November 2000 mutineers after they had surrendered.
A former member of the now disbanded Counter Revolutionary Warfare Unit which carried out the mutiny, Barbados Mills, who was convicted and served his sentence, has filed a compensation claim against the military.
Mills claims that he and two other mutineers were taken from custody at the Nabua police station to the army's rifle range at Vatuwaqa where they were terrorized and assaulted on the orders of Lt Col Baledrokadroka.
But the former officer has denied that any orders were issued by him, the military commander or any other senior officer to terrorise and assault any soldier.
Lt Col Baledrokadroka said following the mutiny he had issued an operational order to loyalist troops to use minimum force on suspects only when it was deemed necessary.
He said he was not aware of any alleged abuses of the mutineers by loyal troops.