The Court of Appeal in Fiji has dismissed an appeal by the leader of the Labour Party, Mahendra Chaudhry, blocking his ability to contest the election next month.
Chaudhry was convicted in April of breaching the Foreign Exchange Act, in relation to US$1.4m he had invested offshore without Reserve Bank approval.
The court has however halved the US$1.08 million fine imposed.
Fiji Live reports the court found the original fine imposed to be excessive.
The website reports Chaudhry declined to comment on the ruling but told the media he remained the leader of the Fiji Labour Party despite the decision.
