A man has been sentenced to prison after the Supreme Court found he fraudulently obtained money by falsely selling a town allotment in Kolomotuʻa, Tonga, according to court documents.
The case centred on the unlawful sale of land known as Mohutapuaki, which was subject to a registered mortgage and had already been surrendered to another party at the time of the transaction.
Penisimani Fisi’ihoi, 43, promoted the sale of the allotment in April 2024, offering it to the complainant for $20,000, citing urgent financial need, according to the judgment.
The complainant paid the full amount over two days and, in return, was given a letter purportedly surrendering the land to her eldest son, along with a stamped document and a copy of the deed of grant.
Subsequent enquiries with the Ministry of Lands revealed that no such surrender had been received.
Police investigations later found that the surrender letter was never filed, the Ministry stamp used was not genuine, the reference number related to an unrelated land matter, and the deed of grant provided did not disclose an existing mortgage.
Investigators also established that the land had already been surrendered earlier in April 2024 to a different individual.
Defendant Admits Fraud
During police interviews, the defendant admitted to the offending, acknowledging that he had fabricated the surrender document and used a false Ministry stamp without authorisation.
He told investigators he was experiencing financial difficulty and believed the land was unencumbered at the time.
In submissions to the court, the defendant did not file formal written arguments as directed in October 2025 but apologised in court and sought leniency.
He told the court he wished to repay the complainant and claimed to have reimbursed approximately $6,000.
The Crown said it was unable to verify that claim, and the complainant was reported to be overseas at the time of the hearing.
Fisi’ihoi pleaded guilty to one count of obtaining money by false pretence, contrary to section 164 of the Criminal Offences Act.
Court documents show that Justice Tupou KC reduced the starting point by six months in mitigation, resulting in a final sentence of 24 months’ imprisonment.
