Media personality Hansley Ajodha has been placed on three-year $250,000 bond to be of good behaviour. He also has been ordered to pay $26,000 in fines."If you want a radio station you have to obey," said senior magistrate Rajendra Rambachan as he passed sentence in the San Fernando Traffic Court.Ajodha was charged with 13 offences under the Telecomunications Act relating to him transferring 21st-Century Arts and Entertainment Ltd to Life Radio 99.5 FM Ltd.
Life Radio, represented by Lawrence Cole, also was charged. They pleaded guilty in September.Rambachan said the three-year bond meant he would be suspending sentence. However, he said, if they breached the bond they would return before him for sentencing."I hope they use the opportunity to walk on the legal road and the chance to make a contribution to the entertainment and radio industries," the magistrate said.
Of the 13 charges, Ajodha faced four for aiding and abetting Life Radio to operate radio transmitting equipment and radio communication services without a licence from the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT).He was placed on $250,000 bond on those charges.Among the nine charges against his company are that it failed to submit details of annual revenues and information required by TATT relating to broadcasting services.
On four of those charges the company was fined $7,000, $7,000, $7,000 and $5,000 respectively. Ajodha's attorney Kevin Ratiram asked for 30 days to pay the fines.The financial records still have not be provided, said Rambachan. He explained that each day the offence continued after conviction the company could be called upon to pay $10,000.
For changing control and entering into such an agreement, in which Adjoda received $3 million without TATT approval, 21st-Century was also placed on a three-year bond in the sum of $75,000.The company, however, was reprimanded and discharged on charges of while being a holder of a concession for broadcasting services it failed to pay the concession fees of $20,000 and licence fees for the years 2007 to 2009. This was not opposed by TATT since then the fees have been paid.
Meanwhile, Life Radio was charged with providing broadcast services, transmitting equipment and radio communication services without licence and concessions without a concession, operating radio transmitted equipment without a licence and operating radio communication service without a licence.For those offences, Life Radio was placed on a three-year $200,000 bond.
In his mitigation plea Ratiram said Ajodha was financially strapped and would not be able to pay a substantial fine. He had initially pleaded not guilty. TATT, represented by attorneys Dana Seetahal, SC, and Sean Cazabon, closed its case more than a year ago. Ratiram, instructed by Imran Khan, had made no-case submissions which were dismissed by the magistrate.
