Andrew Hughes, the Australian appointed to run Fiji's police force in the wake of the 2000 coup, has died aged 62.
Mr Hughes died in Cairns on Tuesday after suffering from bowel cancer.
Andrew Hughes (left) in his role as Fiji Police Commissioner visits Cawaci where he meets Mr. Darren Koch (right) a fellow Australian who taught in Cawaci. Photo: Courtesy of Katherine Foi
Mr Hughes was a high-ranking officer with the Australian Federal Police when he was seconded to Fiji in 2003.
A friend of Mr Hughes and former senior Fiji government official, Robin Nair, said Mr Hughes had told him his illness was brought on by the stress of his tumultuous time in Fiji as Commissioner of Police.
He later worked at the United Nations in New York as police adviser for peacekeeping operations, responsible for 12,500 police peacekeepers deployed from 100 countries to 18 peace missions around the world.
In 2007 Mr Hughes was awarded the Australian Police Medal for distinguished service in the international arena.