Suva High Court judge, Justice Thushara Rajasinghe, will deliver his ruling on Hank Arts’ bail   variation application on October 6.

Arts, General Manager\Publisher of the Fiji Times, is charged with sedition with four others.

The four are Fred Wesley, editor-in-chief of the Fiji Times, Nai Lalakai Editor Anare Ravula, Josaia Waqabaca, article writer to the Nai Lalakai, and the Fiji Times Limited.

Arts had made a bail variation application through his defence lawyer Faizal Haniff to travel to Honolulu, Hawaii to celebrate his wedding anniversary from October 6 to October 17.

Mr Haniff, during the hearing yesterday, highlighted this was the third bail variation application that he was making.

He further informed the court that Arts had been in court 23 times for this matter and not once had he absconded.

“His conduct whilst on bail has been exemplary and he is ready for trial.

“There are plenty of avenues to abscond bail if he wanted to do that but all that he has worked for in these past years is in Fiji,” said Mr Haniff.

Mr Haniff said the Constitution stated that a person’s liberty should not be deprived and this liberty included travelling overseas.

He further assured the court that Mr Arts would not try to go to New Zealand from Honolulu as he would live as a fugitive due to the extradition treaty between Fiji and New Zealand.

Mr Rajasinghe emphasised that Fiji had no jurisdiction over the borders of this country.

State lawyer Yogesh Prasad informed the court that there was no major change in circumstances for the bail variation. He said they were four to five months away to setting a trial date.

“Arts still has the liberty to go on vacation within Fiji’s jurisdiction as there is nothing stopping him to applying for his New Zealand passport from Honolulu,” said Mr Prasad.

Edited by Mohammed Ali

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