A rugby player who lived a colourful life has been sent to jail for one year and three months for possession of illicit drugs.

But the judge said his sentence was fully suspended for a period of three years with condition that he must not commit an offence punishable by imprisonment during the three-year period of his suspension.

Semisi Fakava was charged with possession of 0.81 gm of methamphetamine on 17 February 2019. He pleaded guilty to the charge. When he was arrested Police also found syringe and a test tube in his possession. He was with two girls in a vehicle in Kolofo’ou at the time of his arrest.

Previous convictions

The court was told Fakava had previous convictions in the Magistrate court  for possession of illicit drug.

He was also convicted in the Supreme Court twice for possession of illicit drug and dealing with a forged document and obtaining money by false pretence. He escaped imprisonment in both cases.

The court was told Fakava did not commit any other criminal offence since the Supreme Court dealt with those two cases.

Playing in New Zealand

Fakava went to New Zealand  on a one year contract to play in a rugby club in which it was renewed for another two years.

While in New Zealand he had a partner and he had a child with her. She applied a  permanent residence permit for Fakava in which it was approved in 2008.

But things changed after Fakava had a problem with drinking as well as problems with other girls. He was caught driving under the influence of alcohol in a car that belonged to another person.

His partner left him taking the child with her, and she had Fakavaa’s permanent residence in New Zealand cancelled before he returned to Tonga in 2011. That was after he had two other children to two other women in New Zealand as well.

In Tonga

In Tonga he continued working for a copier servicing company and also still playing rugby.

In 2015 Fakava got married again and he applied for and got his New Zealand permanent residence permit which allowed him and his new wife and their child to go to New Zealand.

“But then problems arose because your previous partner and the other 2 women who had children to you all sued you for maintenance. Your wife who had not known about those women and your children with them, also left you and took the child with her. She also claimed maintenance from you,” the court judgement says.

Educational background

The court was told Fakava went to Tonga High School and Tonga College and he completed form six level before he attended the university of the South Pacific in 2004 studying a computer course.

An Australian company took him to Australia on a six-month course to learn and work in repairing photocopiers.

“You completed that and returned to Tonga in 2005 and worked for Pac Trade in servicing their copiers and computers. At the same time, you were playing rugby for the Toa-Ko-Ma’afu rugby team”.

In an attempt to change his life around he enrolled at the Sia’atoutai Theological College in 2020. He said he would like to continue to do that this year.

In suspending his sentence Judge Niu said he suspended it for three years “so that you will be sure to keep yourself free of any drug, and be sure not to commit any other offence, for those 3 years”.

FAKAMATALA FAKATONGA

Neongo e fakalusa mo e toutou mo’ua he fakamaau’anga’ ki mu’a he faito’o konatapu mo e tohi nima kākā ke ma’u ai ha pa’anga’,  ka ne kei meesi pe ‘a e fakamaau’anga lahi’ o tautea malu’i angelelei ta’u tolu ‘a Semisi Fakava hili hono ma’u mo e faito’o konatapu mefi kalami ‘e 0.81 ‘i Fepueli 2019. Na’e ma’u fakataha ia mo ha ongo tamaiki fefine. Ko e tangata’ ni ‘oku hange ko e paloveape ko e Matangi lelei to ki he la mahaehae. Sai ‘ene ako he ne ‘i Tonga Hai mo ‘Atele, ‘osi mei he foomu ono’ pea to’o koosi ‘i he USP.’Oku taleniti va’inga ‘akapulu. Ma’u e faingamalie va’inga ‘i he kalapu ‘i Nu’u Sila pea mali ai ma’u mo ‘ene pepa. Ka koe’uhi ko ‘ene palopalema mo e kakai fefine kehekehe pe pea iku  fanau ki ai ha ongo fefine ‘e toko ua pea ne ngauekovi’aki ‘a e kava malohi tapu, ne iku ‘o mole ai ‘ene pepa nofo Nu’u Sila hano launga’i ia ‘e he mali’  pea foki ki Tonga. Ne toe mali ‘i Tonga pea iku ‘ave ia ki ‘Aositelelia ha faingamalie ako ngaue mahina ono. Ne toe iku ‘o ne feinga ‘o ma’u ‘ene pepa Nu’u Sila ‘o folau ai ki Nu’u Sila mo hono mali hono ua. Ka ne iku palopalema hono ‘ilo ia ai ‘e he mali ‘uluaki mo ‘ene kakai fefine ne na fāfā’ele ki ai’ ‘o tangi tauhi’i. Ne iku motu ai mo hono mali hono ua’ pea iku foki ai ki Tonga ‘o hoko atu ‘ene mo’ui’aki ‘a e faito’o konatapu’. Pea ‘i hono ma’u ko eni kuo’ ne pehe kuo fai e feinga ke liliu pea kuo ‘osi lesisita ke hu ki he ako’anga Tohi Tapu Sia’atoutai’.

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