Judge questions Bansod’s conviction appeal

The conviction appeal by former Post Fiji chief executive officer Anirudha Bansod will be heard on October 13 by the High Court in Suva.

Bansod’s lawyer, Jagath Karunaratne, and Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption lawyer Nimisha Shankar appeared before Justice Warleen George yesterday.

During the proceeding, Justice George questioned Mr Karunaratne on the basis of the application.

She said Section 247 of the Criminal Procedure Act did not allow Bansod to appeal his conviction, especially after he entered a guilty plea to the amended charge.

The court heard that Bansod had complained about his previous lawyer and the way his case was handled at the Suva Magistrate Court.

Mr Karunaratne told the court they were still trying to confirm from the court records whether the guilty plea taken by his client after the amendments was made in the circumstances alleged, or whether the court had read out his rights.

Justice George questioned whether the applicant was misleading the court, noting that there were several decisions on PacLII concerning the limitations on appealing convictions after a guilty plea had been entered.

Justice George said Bansod’s previous lawyer, Devanesh Sharma, was an excellent and well-established lawyer who knew his job well.

She sought to have the applicant present during the criminal proceeding instead of having Mr Karunaratne give evidence from the bar table.

The court heard that Bansod is now back in India after serving his one-and-a-half-year prison term in Fiji.

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