Former Fiji Squash national representative Justin Ho has received a suspended sentence from the Magistrate’s Court in Nadi. FICAC announced yesterday that Ho pleaded guilty to an amended charge of submitting false or misleading documents on September 10, 2020.
Prosecution highlighted that Ho presented two Tax Identification Numbers (TIN) belonging to private individuals to senior customs officers to facilitate the release of a consignment, fully aware that the information was false. Ho mentioned that he was merely instructed to collect the consignment as part of his defense.
During the proceedings, resident magistrate Talei Kean emphasized that ignorance of the law cannot be used as a justification for one’s actions. Initially sentenced to 18 months in prison, Ho’s term was reduced to nine months due to mitigating factors, including his guilty plea. The court suspended the sentence for three years.
In deciding on the suspension, the court took into account that Ho was a first-time offender with an otherwise clean record, his age at the time the case began, and the absence of any loss to the government entity, deeming a custodial sentence unnecessary for deterrence.