Prosecutors alleged the defendant inflated payments and faked signatures on a Tonga Australia Support Platform (TASP) allowance sheet, claiming TOP$2,000 per representative who attended a workshop when none had received that amount.
The Supreme Court of Tonga has found Simote Polelei guilty of forgery, knowingly dealing with a forged document, and theft.
The case centred on falsified travel allowance documents submitted to the TASP for a Ma‘a Fafine mo e Famili (MFF) workshop held in July 2024.
Evidence showed Polelei had prepared a signing sheet containing forged signatures and incorrect payment amounts for five outer island representatives.
The court accepted witness testimony that one listed recipient had not attended the workshop, while others received significantly less than the amounts recorded in the forged document.
The court heard that between 15 and 19 July 2024, the MFF held its annual reflection and review workshop in Tonga. Representatives from the outer islands were expected to attend and were entitled to receive travel allowances provided by MFF.
Those listed as outer island representatives were Mikaela Lino (Niuatoputapu), Fatafehi Latu (‘Eua), Veapina Fifita (Vava‘u), Veisinia Tonga (Niuafo‘ou), and Lesieli Setaleki (Ha‘apai).
According to documents presented by the prosecution, a total of TOP$10,000 was allocated for travel allowances, with TOP$2,000 intended for each representative. Court records show that on 11 July 2024 the defendant withdrew TOP$11,400 by cheque in relation to the workshop allowances.
Evidence presented to the court established that at the time of the workshop, Lino was on leave and travelling in Australia and did not attend the workshop. The remaining four representatives were present.
The prosecution said the defendant later distributed varying amounts of money to those who attended. Fatafehi Latu received TOP$1,000; Veapina Fifita received TOP$1,800; Lesieli Setaleki received TOP$1,800; and Veisinia Tonga received TOP$1,400.
On 26 July 2024, the accused submitted financial acquittal documents by email to the TASP. These included a travel allowance signing sheet indicating that each of the five outer island representatives had received TOP$2,000, totalling TOP$10,000. The document also bore signatures purported to be those of the representatives and of the MFF director, Betty Blake.
However, the prosecution told the court that the document, reproduced on page six of the court book, was prepared by the defendant and contained false information. Evidence showed that Mikaela Lino neither attended the workshop nor received any allowance; that none of the representatives received the TOP$2,000 recorded on the form; and that the signature attributed to director Betty Blake was not hers.
The prosecution alleged the defendant forged the document and submitted it to TASP with the intent to deceive the agency into accepting it as a genuine and accurate financial record.
It was further alleged that the defendant dishonestly appropriated TOP$4,000 for personal use, having received a total of TOP$20,000 in funds while distributing only TOP$16,000 to the representatives.
Justice Garlick KC delivered the verdict on 23 February, concluding that the prosecution had proven each charge beyond reasonable doubt.
The judge found that the document was created with the intent to deceive and submitted so TASP would act on it as genuine.
Sentencing has been adjourned pending a pre‑sentence report.
