A car dealer has been found guilty of defrauding two men by obtaining TOP$ 47,000.00 by false pretence for vehicles that do not exist.
Siosina Valerie Vakasiuola, 32, of Fua’amotu was charged in respect of two fake agreements she had made with the two prospective buyers, both involving importation of motor vehicles from Japan.
Miss Vakasiuola ran V & G Auto Tonga, a business that sold motor vehicles on Tonga’s main island, Tongatapu. Her business either imported vehicles or provided the service through connections she had with other importers.
Isileli Latu Akauola
Between June and October 2022, at Kolofo’ou, Miss Vakasiuola obtained $30,000.00 by false pretence from Isileli Latu Akauola to purchase him a truck.
Mr ‘Akau’ola agreed to pay her $35,000.00 by instalment payment plan. She would import the truck from Japan, and he would receive it upon full payment.
Between 3 June 2022 and 7 October 2022, a deposit of $10,000.00 was sent to Miss Vakasiuola’s bank account. It followed with weekly payments of sums ranging between $1,000 and $2,000 until the full amount of $30,000.00 was paid to Miss Vakasiuola.
Viliami Pomale Blake
On or about 19 April 2022, at Ma’ufanga, Miss Vakasiuola obtained $17,000.00 by false pretence from Viliami Pomale Blake to purchase two vehicles for him.
Mr Blake complaint to the police that he had paid $17,000.00 to Miss Vakasiuola for a Skyline and Honda Stream and of that date, 10 October 2022, he had received nothing.
Mr Blake came to court but refused to answer questions from the Crown advocate or the judge, the court judgement read.
He referred to the amount of money he lost and the amount he was repaid. He stated that a woman outside the court had approached him. She was a relative of Miss Vakasiuola, called Anna. He did not know her surname.
She had offered to repay the money he lost. No final agreement had been reached.
Mr Blake refused to answer any question Miss Vakasiuola put to him.
The court judgement said: “She is very sorry that in both cases things went wrong, she has entered into repayment arrangements with both Mr Blake and Mr ‘Akauola and that is a sign of both having a conscience about what went wrong and her bona fides, so her honesty.”
Mr Copper said: “Miss Vakasioula was not a convincing witness, and I concluded that she had lied to the Court”.
