Freedom Alliance Party Leader granted by court to travel to Sri Lanka

Freedom Alliance Party Leader Jagath Karunaratne has been granted to travel to Sri Lanka next month by Chief Magistrate Usaia Ratuvili.

Karunaratne applied to travel to Sri Lanka from 17th November to 1st December this year.

State Prosecutor Yogesh Prasad told the court that they do not have any objections.

Karunaratne has also provided his travel itinerary to the court.

Magistrate Ratuvili has ordered that the accused be granted approval to leave the jurisdiction.

He has also ordered that the Director Immigration be informed for the stop departure issued against Karunaratne to be temporarily lifted.

Karunaratne and Mosese Bulitavu were acquitted by High Court Judge Justice Vinsent for sedition but the judge also ordered a retrial in their case.

Bulitavu was serving a sentence of two years, five months and 13 days imprisonment and Karunaratne was serving a sentence of two years, five months and 16 days imprisonment.

Bulitavu and Karunaratne are alleged to have spray painted words in different places between Nausori and Suva with the seditious intention of bringing into hatred or contempt or to excite disaffection against the government of Fiji.

They allegedly did this with others between the 1st and 27th of August 2011.

Karunaratne is not contesting the 2018 General Elections while Bulitavu is standing for SODELPA.

The case has been adjourned to the 4th of December.