Fiji Times sedition case: Court to rule on March 12
The Suva High Court will deliver its ruling on March 21, 2018 for amendment of the information regarding the Fiji Times alleged sedition case. Accused persons Nai-Lalakai column writer Josaia Waqabaca, Nai-Lalakai
Editor Anare Ravula, Fiji Times Editorin-Chief Fred Wesley and Fiji Times Publisher Hank Arts appeared before Judge Justice Thushara Rajasinghe yesterday. Defence lawyer Wylie Clarke appeared for the fifth accused; the newspaper company. In his submissions, Wesley and Arts’ lawyer, Marc Corlett said the prosecution was trying to cast its net far wider when requesting for an amendment to the information.
He said the inclusion of the entire article in the information was because the prosecution needed a context on which to rely its case on. Mr Corlett said that almost 12 months after the accused persons were charged with the offence they were now faced with quite a different case.
Assistant Director of Public Prosecution Lee Burney said the test for amendment was if it caused any prejudice.
He said the article aroused hostility as it stated the torture and rape of children which the accused persons had published in a newspaper which was seditious. Mr Burney requested the court to exercise discretion in granting the amendment as there were no merits in the objections raised by the defence.
The accused men are all on bail. Waqabaca was advised to hire a new lawyer when his lawyer Aman Ravindra-Singh failed to appear in court.
Ravula was represented by private lawyer Devanesh Sharma.