144. (1) Where a person subject to this Act has been sentenced by a court martial to transportation, rigorous imprisonment or detention, the Government, or the Chief of Army Staff, or any officer empowered to convene a general or field general court martial may suspend the sentence whether or not the offender has already been committed to prison or custody. (2) The authority or officer specified in sub-section (1) may in the case of an offender so sentenced direct that, until the orders of such authority or officer have been obtained, the offender shall not be committed to prison or custody. (3) The powers conferred by sub-sections (1) and (2) may be exercised in the case of any such sentence which has been confirmed, mitigated or commuted.