High Court to hand down sedition judgement today

The Lautoka High Court will today hand down the judgment on the 14 accused in the Nadroga-Navosa sedition case. Judge Justice Sunil Sharma will make his final ruling on the case after the four assessors made their ruling on November 2.

The 14 accused people are Ratu Inoke Tasere, Jimi Koroibete, Seru Kunalagi, Adi Cuvu Gavidi Atama, Ulaiasi Rabua Tuivono, Peniasi Naqau, Semi Tanikili, Ratu Osea Bolawaqatabu, Ratu Tevita Khaik ha in abok ola wale Makutu, Mosese Navaci, Eroni Rikoriko, Alifereti Nakuinivou, Alifereti Gonewai and Jorama Ratulevu. The four assessors had found nine of the 14 accused guilty of both counts of the sedition charges. The nine are first accused Ratu Inoke Tasere, second accused Jimi Koroibete, fourth accused Adi Cuvu Gavidi Atama, fifth accused Ulaiasi Rabua Tuivono, seventh accused Semi Tanikili, 10th accused Mosese Navaci, 11th accused Eroni Rikoriko, 13th accused Alifereti Gonewai and 14th accused Jorama Ratulevu.

The other five accused had a combination of guilty and not guilty verdicts by the assessors. Third accused Seru Kunalagi had the first assessor ruling a guilty verdict on both counts, while the other three assessors (Assessors 2-4) ruled that Kunalagi was guilty of the fifth count but not guilty of the sixth count.

Sixth accused Peniasi Naqau was given a guilty verdict for both counts by assessors one, three and four while the second assessor found Naqau not guilty on both counts.

The eighth accused Ratu Osea Bolawaqatabu was not guilty on both counts by assessors one to three but had a guilty verdict by assessor four on the 15th count and not guilty on the 16th count. Rat uT ev it aK haik ha in abok ola wale Makutu, the ninth accused, was found guilty on both counts by assessor one; but assessors two, three and four found Makutu guilty on count 17 and not guilty on count 18.

The 12th accused Alifereti Nakuinivou was found guilty on both counts by assessors one, three and four while the second assessor found Nakuinivou guilty of one count and not guilty on count 24.