Court

Former SODLEPA candidate jailed for contempt of court

August 12, 2019 12:45 pm

Anirudh Sharma with his lawyer Niko Nawaikula

Social Democratic Liberal Party’s former candidate found guilty of contempt of court charges and has been sentenced to three months imprisonment.

Anirudh Sharma has also been ordered to pay ten thousand dollars within 30 days.

The court heard that on 27th September last year, Sharma posted scandalous, defamatory and derogatory comments against the presiding Magistrate in the criminal proceeding against one Imran Khan, who was charged for one count of unlawful possession of illicit drugs.

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Sharma posted comments on social media site Facebook together with a snapshot of a Fiji Sun article titled “Nasinu businessman appears for drug charge in Labasa”.

Sharma was found guilty on 15th of last month.

The judge stated any act of criticizing the judiciary without any valid reason cannot be tolerated.

He said showing remorse, later on, is of no use as the damage done to the judiciary cannot be repaired.

Sharma has 30 days to appeal.