Fiji Times editor Netani Rika was today handed a suspended sentence after the newspaper company had earlier admitted to being in contempt of court.

Rika was sentenced to three months imprisonment suspended for two years while the Fiji Times has also been ordered to pay $100,000 in indemnity costs to the state.

High Court judge Justice Thomas Hickie conditionally discharged the publisher, Rex Gardiner, with a bond and was told to be on good behaviour for the next 12 months.  

The Fiji times had admitted to being in contempt of court for publishing a letter to the editor where the author criticized and made allegations against the three judges in the Qarase/Bainimarama case.