Tora agreed that he had led his villagers astray, but insisted that he had done so only with a view to getting the attention of the Military and the Great Council of Chiefs, to hasten the appointment of Ratu Josefa Iloilo to the Presidency. He told the court through his lawyer that as he was the one who had led his villagers to commit the offence, he wished to bear the full brunt of the law, and hoped that his fellow-accused would be dealt with leniently.