ATS Employees Trust Chairman, Jay Dhir Singh has been sentenced to three months imprisonment after he was found guilty of contempt of scandalising the courts.
While delivering his sentence, High Court Judge, Justice Mohamed Ajmeer said Singh’s sentence will become effective from the date of his arrest as Singh is out of the country.
A bench warrant has been issued for Jay Dhir Singh’s arrest.
Police will arrest Singh as soon as he arrives in the country.
Justice Ajmeer says Singh committed serious contempt of scandalising the court and the entire Fijian judiciary for which he has no remorse.
He says that he would have suspended the sentence if Singh had pleaded guilty and the aggravating factors were not as serious as those in this case.
Justice Ajmeer says a custodial sentence is inevitable in this case as the harm done to the judiciary is particularly serious because it was a deliberate, persistent and inexcusable statement scandalising the entire Fijian judiciary with a full understanding of what he was doing.
Singh made comments in a ATS Employees Trust press conference in Nadi that the judiciary is controlled by one minister.
Justice Ajmeer also says that it is important to note that Singh has committed multiple acts of contempt of court and it was also noted that Singh’s contemptuous statements were spread like wildfire in Fiji and beyond via facebook.
