The woman accused of misappropriating nearly half a million pa‘anga from Tonga’s Retirement Fund Board (RFB) is expected to reappear in court soon, following a postponement of her case from last year.
Meliame Lu’isa Finau Langi, 39, of Longolongo, is alleged to have taken $491,922.52 between 2022 and 2024.
Authorities confirmed that investigations revealed Langi was allegedly responsible for accumulating the funds in question during the specified period.
The case follows revelations last year that the fund’s board dismissed a couple in June 2024.
They were accused of involvement in the embezzlement of the pension funds.
However, there has been no confirmation that the two cases are linked.
That allegation became public after former Prime Minister Dr ‘Aisake Eke confirmed that an investigation was underway into claims of misappropriating “hundreds of thousands” of pa‘anga from the retirement fund.
Eke did not disclose any further information at the time.
Tonga’s RFB is financed through compulsory contributions from public servants, who pay 5 percent of their salaries, while the government contributes 7.5 percent as employer.
The fund also accepts voluntary contributions and holds major investments, including shares in the Tonga Development Bank. It is managed by the Tonga Retirement Fund Board, with the mandate to safeguard members’ savings while investing to grow the fund.
