The Nadi Magistrates Court has issued a suspended sentence for Justin Ho. Last month, he admitted guilt to an altered charge involving false or misleading documents. According to the summary of facts presented, Ho submitted two Tax Identification Numbers (TIN) belonging to other individuals to a Senior Customs Officer in order to facilitate the release of a shipment, fully aware that the information was fraudulent.
The Court initially sentenced Ho to 18 months in prison; however, taking into account mitigating factors and his voluntary guilty plea, the sentence was reduced to nine months and fully suspended for three years. In opting for a suspended sentence, the Court noted that Ho was a first-time offender and that no financial loss was incurred by the government, deeming that a custodial sentence was unnecessary for deterrence purposes.