News

Ho Receives Suspended Sentence

Posted by Media Team 01 October 2024

The Nadi Magistrates Court handed down a suspended sentence for Justin Ho.

On 10 September 2024, Ho plead guilty to the amended charge of False or Misleading Document.

In the summary of facts tendered by Prosecution on the amended charge, it was highlighted that Ho tendered two TIN numbers for two private individuals to a Senior Customs Officers, for the release of a consignment knowing it to be confirmed to be false.

Part of Ho’s mitigating factors was he was only instructed to have the consignment picked up. However, Resident Magistrate, Ms Talei Kean stated that “ignorance of the law is not an excuse and cannot be relied upon or used to justify one’s actions”.

The Nadi Magistrates Court sentenced Ho to an initial sentence of eighteen (18) months imprisonment however due to the mitigating factors and a guilty plea on his own accord, the Court had reduced his sentence to nine (9) months, to which it was fully suspended for a period of three (3) years.

In deciding to suspend the sentence, the Court considered that the accused was a first offender and maintained an unblemished character until this offending, his age when the case had commenced as well as the fact that no loss was suffered by the Government entity, overrides the need for a custodial sentence to be imposed as a means of deterrence