High Court Judge Justice Thushara Rajasinghe has dismissed the defence objection to the amended information to the charges in the Fiji Times Limited case.
The charges were earlier amended from inciting communal antagonism to sedition.
According to the amended information earlier filed and served to Fiji Times Limited, Publisher Hank Arts, Editor Fred Wesley, Nai Lalakai Editor Anare Ravula and contributor Josaia Waqabaca, it is alleged that Fiji Times, on the 27th of April last year printed the Nai Lalakai newspaper which contained an article which had content with a seditious intention to promote feelings of ill-will and hostility between classes of the population.
Fred Wesley’s lawyer Faizal Haniff had objected to some of the particulars of his client’s charge saying that there are no specifics on the particulars of the charge for Wesley.
Haniff said a specific intention of Wesley is not mentioned in the charge adding that information on the charge sheet must show how Wesley was intending to aid and abet the alleged offence.
While responding to Haniff, Assistant DPP Lee Burney said that it was Wesley’s duty as an Editor to uphold the editorial guidelines and the allegation is clear.
Burney says someone pressed the print button on the printing press and it is clear that one of the employees was told to print the article.
Burney says the contents of the Nai Lalakai article had a tendency to create ill-will between sections of the community.
The trial will now start on the 11th of December this year upon the request of one of the defence counsels. The pre-trial conference will start this Friday.
