The Supreme Court of Tonga has sentenced Rodney ‘Ofa ki Tafuna Tomasi to 13 years in prison for possession of more than 3.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, following a contested trial in which he maintained his innocence.
Tomasi was found guilty of possessing 3,547.86 grams of methamphetamine, an amount the court noted as significant and consistent with large‑scale drug dealing.
The judge said evidence presented at trial showed Tomasi had been in contact with a drug supplier in the United States, identified as Ika ‘Ofa, and was involved in coordinating the movement of the drugs inside Tonga.
He also communicated with a local informant and used a vehicle to collect the consignment, which was concealed in a sack of sugar.
In passing sentence, the Chief Justice said methamphetamine continued to cause severe harm across Tongan communities and posed what he described as an “existential threat” to the social fabric of the country.
He said courts had a duty to impose penalties that would deter others from engaging in the trade.
The court adopted a starting point of 15 years’ imprisonment, based on sentencing bands applied in previous drug cases and the substantial quantity involved.
A two‑year deduction was granted because Tomasi was considered a first‑time drug offender, despite having older convictions from more than a decade ago.
This resulted in a final term of 13 years, with the last two years suspended for a period of three years. Tomasi will therefore serve 11 years before the suspended portion begins. The sentence was backdated to 14 November 2025.
Although several letters of support were submitted by Tomasi’s family, village officer, and parish priest, the court found that the seriousness of the offending outweighed the mitigating material.
However, prospects for rehabilitation were acknowledged in the presentence report, leading to the partial suspension.
In addition to the prison term, the court ordered the forfeiture of assets used in the commission of the offence.
These included Tomasi’s white Mazda vehicle, which was driven during the drug pickup and used to evade police, and cash totalling $21,150 discovered hidden in his home during the search.
Two mobile phones — a green Samsung device linked to communications with the US‑based supplier and a black and silver Oppo phone used to contact the informant and Tomasi’s wife — were also seized. The illicit drugs were ordered to be destroyed immediately by incineration.
The judge imposed conditions on the suspended sentence, including that Tomasi must not commit any imprisonable offence, must live at an address approved by the Probation Office, must remain under probation supervision during the suspension period, and must report to the office within 48 hours of his eventual release.
