Judge to deliver judgment in sedition trial

From left: Josaia Waqabaca, Fiji Times Ltd publisher Hank Arts, The Fiji Times editor-in-chief Fred Wesley, Nai Lalakai editor Anare Ravula, with their lawyers outside the High Court in Suva last week. Picture: fijivillage.com

High Court judge Justice Thushara Rajasinghe is expected to deliver his judgment in the Fiji Times sedition trial at 2.30pm today, according to local media reports.
Last week, the three assessors delivered a unanimous not guilty opinion on all charges against Fiji Times Ltd, publisher Hank Arts, Nai Lalakai editor Anare Ravula and Fiji Times editor-in-chief Fred Wesley.
The assessors also delivered a not guilty opinion on charges against letter writer Josaia Waqabaca, who is alleged to have submitted for publication an article written by him with a seditious intention.
The Fiji Times company was charged with one count of printing a seditious publication while Mr Arts was charged with one count of publishing in the Nai Lalakai a seditious article.
Mr Waqabaca was charged with one count of submitting for publication an article written by him with a seditious intention, while Ravula and Wesley were charged with one count each of having aided and abetted the publication of a letter in the Nai Lalakai newspaper on April 27, 2016, by failing to prevent its publication.

Source: fijivillage.com/Fiji Times Online