Former Fiji Squash representative Justin Ho has received a suspended sentence from the Magistrate’s Court in Nadi. According to a recent update from FICAC, Ho pleaded guilty to the amended charge of submitting a false or misleading document on September 10, 2020.
Prosecution details indicated that Ho had presented two Tax Identification Numbers belonging to two individuals to a senior customs officer for the release of a shipment, despite being aware that the information was false. During the proceedings, Ho’s defense noted that he was merely instructed to collect the consignment.
Resident magistrate Talei Kean remarked that “ignorance of the law is not an excuse” and cannot justify one’s actions. The Nadi Magistrate’s Court initially sentenced Ho to 18 months in prison; however, taking into account mitigating factors and his guilty plea, the sentence was reduced 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 with a previously clean record, his young age at the time of the incident, and the fact that the government entity suffered no loss, which diminished the necessity for a custodial sentence as a deterrent.