The court at the trial sentenced him to eight months in prison with a two-year stay of execution for the mere reason that he deliberately criticized the then defense minister, though it dismissed all charges against Sin who was prosecuted for his articles claiming that the warship sank after running on a rock.

The editorial said that it was natural to chide the chiefs of the relevant ministry and departments when criticizing the "government", adding that writing articles accusing them can not be a crime.