Business executive, Nouzab Fareed who was earlier convicted of a charge of indecent assault by the Suva Magistrates Court has been acquitted by High Court Judge Justice Salesi Temo following an appeal against conviction and sentencing.
Fareed was earlier sentenced to 14 months which had been suspended for 2 years.
It was earlier alleged that on 15th of May in 2019, Fareed unlawfully and indecently assaulted a woman by hugging her and sniffing and kissing her neck while rubbing her back.
In his judgement, Justice Temo says the Magistrate erred in law and in fact in not finding that Fareed had no case to answer.
Justice Temo says the Magistrate erred because there was no reliable or credible evidence against Fareed and the complainant was the most evasive and untruthful witness with no credibility.
He also says the complainant had become good friends with Fareed and had pictures taken with him and also sent him emails and was previously hugged by Fareed without any complaint.
Justice Temo further says her complaint was 7 months after the alleged incident and was in similar terms as reported by Lynda Tabuya in her Facebook post of 6th December, 2019.
