The Nadi Magistrates Court has issued a suspended sentence to Justin Ho. Last month, Ho admitted guilt to an amended charge involving the submission of false or misleading documents. The details revealed that he provided two Tax Identification Numbers (TIN) belonging to other individuals to a Senior Customs Officer in order to facilitate the release of a consignment, knowing these documents were false.
The Court initially sentenced Ho to 18 months in prison but, taking into account mitigating factors and his guilty plea, reduced his sentence to nine months, which has been fully suspended for three years. In deciding to suspend the sentence, the Court acknowledged that Ho was a first-time offender and noted that no loss had been incurred by the government agency involved, deeming a custodial sentence unnecessary for deterrence.