A man sentenced for providing false information to a public servant was denied bail yesterday.

Benjamin Padarath who was sentenced to 25 months of imprisonment appeared before Justice Achala Wengapulli at the Suva High Court where he refused Padarath’s application for bail pending appeal.

Mr Wengapulli read to the court the Bail Act that states when a court is considering granting bail to a person who has appealed against conviction or sentence the court must take into account the following:

(a)          The likelihood of success in the appeal

(b)          The likely time before the appeal hearing

(c)           The proportion of the original sentence which will have been served by the applicant when appeal is heard.

Mr Wengapulli states that Padarath failed to satisfy the court of the existence of any exceptional circumstance that would entitle him to be released on bail pending appeal and fails to satisfy the court that his appeal has a very high likelihood of success.

JESSICA GOUNDER

Edited by Jonathan Bryce

Feedback: jessica.gounder@fijisun.com.fj