‘Do the crime, do the time!’ Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Confronts Defamer in Court

Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister and NFP MP Lenora Qereqeretabua faced her online attacker in Suva Magistrates Court yesterday,delivering a pointed message to Kishore Kumar, who was convicted last month of publishing defamatory videos targeting her character.

“I’ve come here to say: Do the crime, do the time,” Qereqeretabua told Kumar, underscoring the emotional toll the repeated attacks exacted on her—and on her family.

“These weren’t one-off posts. They were deliberate, repeated, and designed to humiliate,” she said, recalling how the videos even made her question her own worth.

The Minister stressed that her decision to press charges was driven not by her political standing but by a desire to “speak up for other women in Fiji who face the same harassment and shame.”

Though she told the court she has forgiven Kumar, she made clear that accountability is essential: “If you bring hate speech, ethnic slurs, or racist innuendo into this space, you will be blocked and reported. No apologies for that.”

Kumar apologized in court, attributing his actions to mental instability at the time—supported by a psychiatric report from Saint Giles Hospital—and pledged not to reoffend.

The State has urged Magistrate Seini Puamau to impose a stiff penalty: a FJD 20,000 fine or five years’ imprisonment for each of the five counts of defamation, plus an additional five years for the sixth count.

Magistrate Puamau acknowledged Minister Qereqeretabua’s testimony and said she would weigh all submissions before delivering her ruling.

Sentencing is scheduled today at 12:00 PM.