Judgment on Appeal Against Tugi’s Sentence Next Month

Convicted man currently serving sentence for buying minors

The High Court will deliver its judgment on the Director of Public Prosecutions’ appeal against the sentence of a 30-year-old man jailed for buying minors, next month.

Simione Tugi’s case was to be called for judgment on Tuesday, however, High Court Judge Justice Thushara Rajasinghe said he would pronounce his judgment on June 3.

Tugi was charged with one count of buying minors under the age of 18 years for immoral purposes.

Between January 1 and January 28, 2015, at Nabua, Tugi obtained possession of a girl who was a minor (under the age of 18 years) for illicit sexual intercourse with others.

Tugi had approached the complainant who was 16 years old at the time of the offence at a Kava Shop in Nabua asking her whether she was willing to make some money.

When the complainant agreed, Tugi during the period of offending had arranged twice for men to have sexual intercourse with the complainant where money was exchanged.

The complainant later filed a complaint at the Nabua Police Station

and as a result, Tugi was arrested and charged.

Tugi was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment and ordered to serve an immediate custodial sentence with a non-parole period of 24 months.

The Director of Public Prosecutions then filed an appeal against the sentence imposed by the Magistrates Court.

It was on the grounds that the sentence imposed was manifestly lenient given the tariff set in other similar offences and that the court fell into error by failing to provide reasons for fixing the non-parole period so close to the head sentence. Edited by Losirene Lacanivalu