Vilikesa Taganikalou

A 52-year-old man who pleaded guilty to cultivating marijuana on his farm in Naitasiri has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment.

Vilikesa Taganikalou was arrested at a bus shelter in Naitasiri in 2018 with 41.6 grams of marijuana wrapped in aluminum foil.

During his arrest, he informed the police officers that he is cultivating marijuana on his farm.

He pleaded guilty to his charge in 2018 and was sentenced to seven years imprisonment with a fine of $200 by the Suva High Court to today.

Taganikalou appealed against his sentence in 2019.

His conviction was set aside and the matter was reverted to the Magistrates court for a re-hearing.

The matter was transferred to the High Court where he was handed a seven year sentence with a non -parole period of four years.

He will now serve five years and ten-months sentence as he had already spent time behind bars.