Simione Kaitani is a former Fijian politician. He was previously a Cabinet Minister from 2001 to 2006, serving initially as Minister for Transport and Civil Aviation, and later as Information Minister. He resigned these portfolios in favour of Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu on 20 September 2005, but remained in the Cabinet as a Minister without portfolio. Following the general election of 2006, he was appointed Leader of the House, and as such was responsible for the conduct of government business in the House of Representatives. He remained in this position until the military coup that overthrew the government on 5 December 2006. Kaitani was first elected to the House of Representatives as an independent candidate to represent the Lomaiviti Fijian Communal constituency in the general election of 1999, and later joined the Christian Democratic Alliance (VLV). The VLV disintegrated in the political realignment that followed the coup, but Kaitani joined the newly formed Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua (SDL), and retained his seat in the election of 2001 as an SDL candidate. He was subsequently appointed to the Cabinet. Kaitani's treason trial, 2005 On 15 August 2005, he had been acquitted of charges that he had been involved in the coup d'état which deposed elected government in May 2000. Among other things, he was accused of taking an illegal oath of ministerial office on 20 May 2000, to join the so-called Taukei Cabinet of George Speight, the chief instigator of the coup. Kaitani had appeared in court on 23 May along with four other defendants. One pleaded guilty to the charges against him and apologised. The others, including Kaitani, all pleaded not guilty. The trial of all except Tanaburenisau began on 17 June. A number of witnesses were summoned, among them the Parliamentary Secretary, Mary Chapman, and Senator Mitieli Bulanauca, who was given immunity to testify. On 1 August, Kaitani's defence lawyers Iqbal Khan and Rabo Matebalavu called for the charges against Kaitani and his fellow-accused to be dismissed on the grounds that twelve state witnesses who testified, including New Zealand Police handwriting expert David Boot, had failed to conclusively link the accused to their alleged crime. Kaitani said that of the ten thousand people who had gathered in the parliamentary complex when the crisis was at its height, not one had seen him taking an oath or signing any documents. He questioned why the three alleged witnesses, including former Vice-President Ratu