Court Orders LTA to Reimburse $20,000
Magistrate Ratu dismissed the TIN, acquitted Mr Reddy and ordered LTA to reimburse all fines paid by Mr Reddy within 21 days.
Saturday 04 January 2025 | 12:38
John Prasad (left) with his client Sanjeev Reddy outside the Magistrate’s Court in Labasa on January 3, 2025.
The Land Transport Authority was ordered by the Magistrate’s court in Labasa on Friday to refund a businessman who was issued a Traffic Infringement Notice (TIN) amounting to $20,000.
Sanjeev Reddy of Vunika, Labasa appeared before Magistrate Safaira Ratu on three separate occasions.
The 50-year-old was represented by John Prasad of John Prasad Lawyers.
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Traffic Infringement Notices issued
On July 17, 2019, he was issued a fine of $2000 permitting another person to drive a motor vehicle with non-conforming mass plus load.
Mr Reddy was later issued with two separate TIN in the sum of $13,000 and $5000.
As a result of this, he had to shut down his trucking business and operate a shop to sustain his livelihood.
Ruling
Magistrate Ratu in her ruling stated that after hearing the evidence of Mr Reddy and his witnesses as well as the prosecution witnesses and that in consideration of the evidence in totality, the court finds that the prosecution have not discharged their burden of proof and there was no possibility that a tribunal or court can safely convict the applicant on the evidence adduced with respect to the accompanying TIN.
Magistrate Ratu further called into question the prosecution witness and his expertise to give evidence on the matter.
Accordingly, she dismissed the TIN, acquitted Mr Reddy and ordered LTA to reimburse all fines paid by Mr Reddy within 21 days.
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