News

Two men acquitted after appeal

February 22, 2018 1:16 am

Two men will finally be able to breathe a sigh of relief after they were acquitted by the Lautoka High court today.

Ram Swamy Goundar was charged with fraud and impersonation while Permal Reddy was charged with one count of fraud for an event which took place in 2000.

The two first appeared in Nadi Magistrates in May 2014.

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The matter proceeded at a slow pace in the Nadi court and in June last year the State sought to withdraw the charges against the two due to insufficient evidence.

The state asked that the accused be discharged rather than acquitted however the defence asked that their clients be acquitted.

In August last year the two were discharged however Goundar and Reddy appealed against the decision and asked for them to be acquitted.

In his judgement Justice Paul Madigan said that the two were wrongly prosecuted, fourteen years after the event and they should have been acquitted.

Justice Madigan today ordered that the two be acquitted.