Former Fiji Squash national representative Justin Ho has received a suspended sentence from the Magistrate’s Court in Nadi. According to a media update from FICAC, Ho pleaded guilty to an amended charge involving a false or misleading document on September 10, 2020.
The prosecution’s summary revealed that Ho provided two TIN numbers for two private individuals to a senior customs officer for the release of a consignment, fully aware that the information was false. Ho’s defense included the claim that he was simply instructed to retrieve the consignment.
Resident Magistrate Talei Kean noted that ignorance of the law is not a valid excuse for such actions. Originally sentenced to 18 months in prison, Ho’s term was reduced to nine months due to mitigating factors, including his guilty plea. The court ultimately suspended the entire sentence for three years.
In its decision, the court acknowledged that Ho was a first-time offender with an otherwise unblemished record, considered his age at the time the case began, and noted that no financial loss was incurred by the government. These factors led the court to determine that a custodial sentence was not necessary for deterrence.