Planet: Talus
Region: Fort Keen
Story: (Written by the Galactic News Agency, Ramona doesn't write IC).
Following his admittance of guilt in the last session, Celox faced the court with his closing speech in the final session of the trial against HGS.
Celox admonished the court for wasting the money of the Empire, since after eight sessions, only one piece of physical evidence of guilt - his own testimony - had been found. Instead of funding the defense efforts faced with the rebel and terrorist threat, he claimed prosecutor Symane "had to drag a bunch of dancers, holostars and entertainers into this court over a humoristic show, done in the outer rim." All this despite no evidence of actual ties of the accused to the Rebellion. He also claimed various evidence supporting the defendants was ignored or swept under the carpet, and blamed the whole case on Imperial xenophobia, and the prosecution's willingness to persecute aliens to further their own career, citing ISB Lieutenant John Koizumi.
He claimed that he had proven, beyond any reasonable doubt, that all HGS employees which were charged were absolutely innocent of any ties or connections with the Rebellion and had merely done a humoristic show, in jest - without any malicious intentions. A show which was resubmitted to the IBoC in accordance with the law, only to be ignored.
Celox admitted once again that he had falsified documents, submitting them to Lt. Commander Dotan, and claimed responsibility for "the worst part of the lyrics of the show", the lyrics for Ro’Tarra the Wookiee - and thus claimed sole responsibility for any crimes that may have been committed.
Prosecutor Symane then held his closing speech, claiming that the greatest damage was not always done with bombs or blasters, but with words, and that the defendants never denied the actual charges brought before this court: The spreading of anti-imperial propaganda. They did write this "horrific piece of propaganda", and did falsify documents in order to slip it past both the censors of the board of culture and the officer in charge of permitting the actual performance.
He linked this to supporting the Rebellion, and making others see rebel soldiers as "benevolent agents of change", instead of "greedy members of a broken regime" "more interested in a return to their old ways of corruption and graft".
Then the judge rendered his verdict.
Nallu Koras and the rest of the employees, with the exception of Amulette Duvette and Celox Scorpio, were judged together, and found innocent of treason for lack of compelling evidence that the show itself was a traitorous attempt to undermine the Empire. The judge further stated that he did not believe there were any ties to the Rebellion. He then went on to criticize the show as "a horrific display of distaste and vulgarity", lacking artistic or humoristic value.
While the defendants were found not guilty on charges Incitement to Riot and Rebel and of Spreading Rebel Propaganda as well as of Treason, HGS was sentenced to cover the court costs.
Furthermore, a COMPNOR liaison, Ensign Sahra Tivect, was assigned to the studio, to oversee future productions, reporting any violations of IBoC regulations.
Amul'ette Duvette was found not guilty on the charge of Incitement to Riot and Rebel, of Spreading Rebel Propaganda and of Treason, but was ordered to resubmit the show within 7 days, and would suffer a sentence of 10 years incarceration if the resubmitted show would fail to achieve a Pro-Imperial rating or any future show receive a banned IBoC rating.
Celox Scorpio on the other hand was found to have waived his COMPNOR rights by pleading guilty - legal experts failed to find any grounds for such a ruling, it flying into the face of any logic and efficiency, it actively encouraging defendants not to confess their crimes.
The judge came to the conclusion that Celox Scorpio had given the false documents to Lt. Commander Dotan as part of a plan to use his friends in HGS as tools to spread Rebel propaganda. He did not detail whether this plan was limited to spreading rebel propaganda directly through the show, or if the performers were placed as sacrifices in the trial itself, to paint the Empire as xenophobic.
Celox Scorpio was found guilty on the charge of Falsification of Documents, of Incitement to Riot and Rebel, of Spreading Rebel Propaganda and of Treason and sentenced to immediate public execution by firing squad.
The sentence was carried out at once, as ordered, in another questionable act. Celox Scorpio was seen to hold a deck of cards, and asked for his body to be thrown into the Sarlacc "for a rematch", according to witnesses.
