Senior officials and civil servants from former governments will be arrested and charged amid Police investigation over Tonga’s decades-long passport scandal.
The revelation was made by Tonga’s Prime Minister Hon ‘Akilisi Pohiva on Television Tonga while he addressed the nation with the annual Christmas message last week.
Hon Pohiva said His Majesty King Tupou VI agreed to begin an investigation over the passport scandal while the former government was in power but it refused to do it.
In April this year His Majesty assented to a move by Pohiva’s government to establish a Royal Commission to investigate the Tongan passport scandal.
Hon Pohiva did not give any details or mentioned names of any particular individuals who Police were investigating.
READ MORE:
- King agrees to set up royal commission to investigate Tonga’s passport scandal
- Auditor general: Passport scandals involved PM’s office
- Government wants Royal Commission to investigate Tonga’s passport scandal
The Prime Minister also said the work to reclaim Chinese US$25 million grant to Tonga in which the former government transferred to Princess Pilolevu and her Tongasat company was currently pursued in court.
He said he was the one who first filed the lawsuit against the Princess and Tongansat in his attempts to return the money but when he became Tonga’s Prime Minister he was advised to withdraw his name from the legal action because of his role for the government.
Hon Pohiva said the case was now being pursued in court by Mateni Tapueluelu and Tonga’s Public Servants Association.
