British prosecutor and lawyer Nicholas Cooper has been made a Supreme Court judge.
Justice Nicholas Cooper
The Registrar of Supreme Court announced the appointment of Cooper this afternoon.
“Privy Council approved the appointment of MR Nicholas Cooper of the United Kingdom as a judge of the Supreme Court of Tonga,” it said.
“The Lord Chief Justice has directed that on 1 March 2021 commencing 10am a ceremony is to be conducted in Court 1 to welcome Hon Justice Cooper and to farewell the Hon. Acting justice Langi.”
Acting Judge Langi will complete her current appointment on 26 February 2021 and return to service as a Senior Magistrate with enhanced jurisdiction in that court.
Prior to his appointment, Judge designate Cooper was a member of 15 New Bridge Street Chambers in London where he practised in criminal defence work and more recently as a Level 3 prosecutor.
He has specialised in a number of areas of criminal law including financial crime, large scale Class A drug supply by criminal gangs and corruption in public officials.
A senior academic staff member at the Auckland University of Technology wants the vice chancellor to resign following a scathing report into bullying.
Photo: RNZ / Claire Eastham-Farrelly
The review heard more than 200 complaints of bullying and found evidence of sexual harassment by eight former staff.
It said some employees had been so severely affected they had been forced to take stress or sick leave, and had cried during interviews.
The staff member, who RNZ agreed not to name, said there was a culture of bullying at the university.
“When I was enquiring about the head of another school, and who that person was, and you know, just out of curiosity really, and the answer I got from one person was ‘oh that person’s all right, she’s very easy to shout down’.
“Meaning that if you have a disagreement with that person, if you raise your voice they back off.”
The culture had also affected wider decision-making, said the staff member, because senior leadership were used to ignoring problems.
That had become evident when the university announced it would restructure the academic year into shorter course blocks because of Covid.
This was despite early warnings the changes would not work.
“You can’t do block courses when you have a whole load of people, how can I put it? A whole load of people already signed up to do a course.
“Then you’re going to change their weekly courses to block there will be too many timetable clashes for this to be marginally practical.”
Despite these early concerns being raised by staff, the university went ahead before backtracking amid a student outcry, the staff member said.
Bullying had been highlighted in a number of past surveys, but AUT had ignored them “so it isn’t coming out now, it’s been happening for quite a long time,” they said.
“You don’t get a working culture this impregnated with a bullying managerial style overnight. It takes a few years to develop.”
The staff member said the only way AUT would ever change its culture would be to ensure some level of accountability.
“And the people that are at the top, that have been ignoring this for so long probably need to be stood down or replaced…”
“I would say that includes the vice chancellor, I would say that includes a number of people in human resources that have ignored complaints, and I would also think that many of the deans would need to be looked at.”
In a statement released with the report, AUT Vice-Chancellor Derek McCormack said he and the university’s council accepted the findings.
“In response to these findings, on behalf of the university and personally, I want to apologise to all those past and present who have been subjected to bullying or other forms of harassment,” he said.
“As a university, we should have done better and my commitment as vice-chancellor is that we will do better starting today.”
‘Systemic problem’
AUT economics professor Rhema Vaithianathan, a spokesperson for Stop Sexual Harassment on Campus (SSHOC), said the report held no-one to account.
Vaithianathan said there were women at the university at the moment feeling bullied because of harassment complaints they had tried to prosecute in the past.
“So this ‘lets move on, it’s a new day, it’s a new system’ doesn’t wash when people feel like they haven’t had justice.
“People who right now, today, feel they haven’t had justice first need to have justice, and then we can move on to a more just system.”
The independent review found evidence of sexual harassment by eight former staff. The report said badly-performing staff were moved to other roles, promoted or “moved sideways” rather than the university tackling their problems.
“The fact that eight people have left is no comfort to us because we represent all universities in the country and we feel that the solution cannot lie in individual universities getting rid of people,” Vaithianathan said.
“I do think there is a systemic problem.”
A national independent body commissioned to hear complaints, both from university students and staff, document them and follow up on those, was sorely needed, she said.
A meeting is expected to be held in Nuku’alofa next week to discuss concerns over new road safety measures the government signed into law in October 2020.
(L-R) Chief Magistrate Folau Lokotui, Attorney General Linda Folaumoetu’i and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport ‘Akosita Lavulavu
The Attorney General Linda Folaumoetu’i will meet the Chief Magistrate Folau Lokotui, major stakeholders and the Ministry of Police as well as the Ministry of Infrastructure.
Hon Folaumoetu’i has confirmed to Kaniva News this morning she was contacted by the Chief Magistrate regarding the penalty of infringement notices.
“His view is that he has no discretion to impose fines lower than $500 if it comes to Court,” Folaumoetu’i said.
“We are going to meet with the Magistrate (or his representative) and major stakeholders, Police, Ministry of Infrastructure to discuss this issue sometimes next week.”
Responding to previous criticisms against the law, an authority reportedly said people who had been fined have rights to defend themselves in Court.
They claimed the courts will then decide the exact amount of money for them to pay after considerations of their circumstances and defences.
The Chief Magistrate did not think so and the meeting next week is expected to resolve the concerns.
The new law, which was introduced by the Minster of Transport ‘Akosita Lavulavu included the compulsory wearing of seatbelts, made the use of mobile phones while driving illegal and mandated that cars cannot be used without a registration plate.
Children must also be seated when a vehicle is in motion, and they can no longer sit on the driver’s lap.
Playing loud music, extreme tinting and the addition of blinking, colourful or distracting lights have also been prohibited.
At the time, Hon. Lavulavu said the laws would make Tonga’s public roads safer.
The deadliest year on the roads in the past 10 years was 2018, with 21 deaths.
“The Traffic Act 2020 and the Roads Act 2020 have long been discussed and consulted on with the public and by the government during its passage through the legislative assembly,” the Ministry of Infrastructure said.
This is a copy of the infringement notice published by the Attorney General office website
Criticisms
The law had been widely criticised by the public from the outset both in the local news and social media.
The gist of the condemnation has been that while the vast majority of people in Tonga owned vehicles, they did not have sources of income.
Critics cited sources from police who claimed most fatal accidents in Tonga were caused by speeding and drink driving.
Late last year photos of vehicles in Ha’apai shared on social media showed pick up vans full of people standing in the back while the vans were moving.
This was typical in December when villages only had pick up trucks to transport their supporters and players during the basketball season.
Commentaters on Facebook have asked what the government could do for these passengers and drivers of the Ha’apai pick up when the law for seatbelts was already in place.
Some believed the seatbelts law did not consider the fact that pick up trucks had been used to transport people in Tonga for a long time. They claimed that these vehicles appeared to have rarely been involved in road accidents.
Supporters of the law said if all drivers and passengers followed what the law stipulated Police would hardly fine anybody.
Photo of pick up vans full of people standing in the back while the vans were moving across Foa Island causeway in Ha’apai. Photo/Facebook
FAKAMATALA FAKA-TONGA
Fakahā ‘e he ‘Ateni Seniale’ Linda Folaumoetu’i ki he Ongoongo ‘a e Kaniva’ te ne fakahoko ha fakataha mo e Fakamaau Polisi Pule’ pehē ki he Potungāue Ki he Fefononga’aki’, Polisi mo kinautolu poupou ‘o e lao’ ni fekau’aki mo e hoha’a ki he totongi kuo hilifaki ‘e he pule’anga’ he’ene lao fo’ou 2020 ki he tulēfiki’, fefononga’aki’ mo hono ngāue’aki ‘o e me’alele’. Pehē ‘e Folaumoetu’i kuo ne ma’u ha fetu’utaki mei he Fakamaau Polisi Pule’ Folau Lokotui fekau’aki mo ‘ene tokanga ki he mafai ‘o e fakamaau’anga’ ke fakasi’isi’i ‘a e ngaahi tautea kuo tu’utu’uni ‘e he lao’ ni. ‘I he faka’uhinga ‘a Lokotui ‘oku ‘ikai ha mafai ‘o e fakamaau’anga’ ke toe holoki ‘a e tautea’ hangē ko ia ‘oku taukave’i ‘e he kau ma’umafai ne nau fakapaasi ‘a e lao’ ni. Pea ko e fakatātā mahino hangē ko e mo’ua ki he ta’efakama’u ‘o e leta’ ko e tautea ki ai ko e $500. Ne tui e Potungāue Fefononga’aki’ ia ko e mahu’inga ko ia’ ‘i he’ene tu’u ‘a e lao’ ‘e ala holoki ia ‘e he fakamaau’anga fakatatau ki ha taukapo ‘e fai ‘e ha taha kuo mo’ua ko e ta’eleta. Kuo ‘ikai tui ‘a Lokotui ‘oku ‘i ai ha mafai pehē ‘o e fakamaau’anga’ ka ko e pau pe ke totongi ‘a e $500 pea kuo ke ne fokotu’u atu ki he ‘Ateni Seniale ke fai hano vakai’i ange e lao’ ni. ‘E solova ‘a e hoha’a ko ia ‘i ha fakataha mo e ‘Ateni Seniale’ he uike kaha’u’. ‘I he’ene tu’u lolotonga’ ‘oku mamafa ange totongi ta’eleta ‘a Tonga’ ‘i Nu’u Sila. ‘Oku $150 Nu’u Sila ha tautea ‘o ha taha faka’uli ta’eleta ka ma’u kinautolu ‘e he polisi’. Ka liliu Tonga e $150 ko ia ‘e fe’unga mo $248. Kei fu’u mamafa ange pe totongi ‘a Tonga’. ‘I Nu’u Sila foki oku tuku mai ‘aho ‘e 28 ke totongi ai ‘a e mo’ua. Ka ‘ikai totongi ‘e tuku mai e tohi fakatokanga mo e toe ‘aho ‘e 28 ke totongi ai. Ka ‘ikai pe totongi pea ‘oku ‘ave leva ia ki he ngaahi kautaha ‘eke mo’ua’ ke nau ‘eke pea ‘oku fa’a toe hilifaki atu ai ‘a e totongi tautea foki. Ka ka ‘oku faingata’a’ia ‘a kinautolu kuo tautea’i ki he ta’eleta’ ‘e lava ke nau kole ki he kau tānaki mo’ua’ ke tuku mai ha taimi lōloa ange ke tātā fakafoki ai ‘a e mo’ua’ ‘o fakatatau ki honau tu’unga malava fakapa’anga’. Kapau ‘e ‘i ai ha tāla’a ki he tautea ‘oku hilifaki ki he ta’eleta’ ‘oku malava ke te fetu’utaki ki he kau ma’umafai ke solova ‘eni pea ka ‘ikai ‘oku ‘atā he lao ‘a Nu’u Sila’ ke te ‘ave kau polisi’ ki he fakamaau’anga’ ke ‘eke ai ‘e te totonu’.
Fiji Police and Immigration officials have detained the University of the South Pacific Vice-Chancellor Professor Pal Ahluwalia, Fiji’s FBC reported this morning.
Professor Pal Ahluwalia. Photo/ University of Portsmouth
USP Pro-Chancellor Winston Thompson reportedly said he was aware of the arrest of the Vice-Chancellor and his wife, however, he did not provide any further explanation of the arrest, the broadcaster said.
It said USP Staff Union President Elizabeth Read Fong said the Vice-Chancellor and his wife were taken in at midnight.
Fong reportedly said that the USP Council, Chancellor, and Pro-Chancellor have been informed and staff will await their advice on their next move.
The arrest was the latest twist after Kaniva News and other Pacific media reported last year claims some academics and staff at USP may have been rorting the university’s financial system for years.
The activities were uncovered in a report by Accountants BDO who were brought in after the university’s new Vice Chancellor, Professor Pal Ahluwalia found irregularities.
At the time we reported that other USP documents showed the Fijian government has been trying to drive Professor Ahluwalia out of the country.
There were also documents concerning a sex for grades scandal at the university.
Professor Ahluwalia was suspended following the allegations, an act which has drawn criticism from Tonga and several other Pacific nations.
Australia has suspended aid until the university is cleaned up.
Prime Minister Pōhiva Tu’i’onetoa recalled moments of struggle and how difficult it was in Tonga while he was a high school student to have enough book keeping teachers to lead the subject.
Dr Pōhiva Tu’i’onetoa. Photo/Kalino Lātū (Kaniva Tonga)
He said he was lucky to have passed the subject at the New Zealand University Entrance Examination while studying at Tupou High School.
He was then given a scholarship by the Tonga government to study in New Zealand in accounting in early 1980s.
He said scholarships were rare at the time.
Hon. Tu’i’onetoa was delivering a speech in Nuku’alofa at the Fa’onelua Convention Centre where he was made a Fellow of the Institute of Certified Management Accountants of Australia (FCMA).
The FCMA focuses on management accounting and has more than 10,000 members around the world.
The award was presented by the Australian High Commissioner, HE Mr. Adrian Morrison, on behalf of the Institute, (ICMA).
The Prime Minister said the award added more credibility to his educational backgrounds as well as any financial reports he had to sign.
He said the abbreviation FCMA would be added to his official signature.
Emotional
The Prime Minister was emotional during his speech. He mentioned family members who supported his studies and teachers who first introduced him to book keeping.
“It was a tough time as I came through so many struggles,” he said.
He said his first teacher in book keeping was the late Rev. Taasi Kale from Makave, Vava’u while he was studying at Tupou College.
His second book keeping teacher was the late Tongan accountant Albin Johansson when he studied at Tupou High School.
He said he became interested in book keeping, but he never knew that one day it would become his bread and butter.
He said he rewarded his mother by sharing with her the money from his salary when he returned from study in New Zealand and was employed by the government as Tonga’s Auditor General.
Hon. Tu’i’onetoa said he told his mother he wanted to be of any use to her before she died.
But his mother gave him advice he never forgot.
“Thanks for that,” his mother said.
“But it was my responsibility to educate you . . . it was meant for you to be an asset to your family and the future generation,” his late mother told him.
He said the Free Wesleyan Church which owned the Tupou College and Tupou High School could not afford to pay for a book keeping teacher at the time to teach at Tupou High School.
He said Albin offered to teach accounting free at Tupou High School twice a week. Albin’s daughter, an accountant and auditor, ‘Aloma Johansson, spoke during the ceremony.
The Prime Minister passed the book keeping University Entrance examination level before he applied for a government scholarship and went and studied in New Zealand.
He graduated as a Chartered Accountant (CA) from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of New Zealand in 1982.
In 1999 he became a Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA) from the Institute of Chartered Accountant of New Zealand.
He also has a M.Bus (Acc) and a Master of Business (Accounting) from Monash University, Melbourne in Australia.
Urging students
He said the treasurer and accountant roles were significant anywhere, including churches and governments.
He said money could throw almost every group, family, clubs, women’s weaving groups, ex-students into disarray.
“The trustworthiness of the treasurers is important,” he said.
He had a message for the students who attended the ceremony last week and those who were listening online.
He said discipline was of paramount importance for accountants and treasurers.
“Discipline, to you students if you are listening, it would be assessed in many years after you finished studying and worked before this kind of award is being conferred on somebody because of their experience and trustworthiness.”
The speech was conveyed both in Tongan and English.
Speaking in English Hon. Tu’i’onetoa said he faced many struggles from the 1970s until the 1990s.
He said he used his accounting professionalism “to assist the decision makers, including the leaders to make well calculated decisions based on the accuracy, the reliability, credibility and with complete financial information that are provided and audited on a timely basis in order to help government ministries, the people and business community to make the right, true and fair decisions.”
A Tongatapu woman’s 15-months imprisonment sentence for altering more than 40 cheques and stealing $18,189 pa’anga from an uncle’s business has been fully suspended.
Lolina ‘Ofa, 24, from Tokomololo, appeared at the Supreme Court on January 29 on three charges of forgery, theft and knowingly dealing with forged documents.
The defendant was customarily adopted by her maternal uncle and his wife since she was 11- year-old.
The defendant’s adoptive parents looked after a business, ‘Lyfe Apparel and Signage’ belonging to her adoptive mother’s brother, Sonatane Hafoka who lived in Australia.
The business and the main office were located inside the residence where the defendant and her adoptive parents lived. The business has an account with the BSP bank, and the cheque book was kept inside the business office.
On different occasions between the month of September 2019 to April 2020, the defendant forged Mr Hafoka’s signature on the cheques before she cashed out the money at BSP bank.
She then deposited the money into her own bank account. A total of 43 cheques were cashed by the defendant amounting to $18,189.60.
During this time the owner of the business was in Australia. He noticed the irregularities in the account and contacted the BSP bank. He was informed by the bank that it was the defendant who had cashed the cheques and had deposited the money into her own bank account.
Hafoka lodged a complaint with Police and the defendant was arrested and charged.
By the time the defendant was arraigned her natural parents had already started to make payments to the bank and had arranged with the bank that they will pay $500 every month until the total of the money stolen was paid in full.
The bank had reimbursed Mr Hafoka of the money taken by the defendant and they agreed to the arrangement for the defendant and her parents to pay back the money to the bank.
‘Ofa told the probation officer that the offending commenced when she began dating her boyfriend. She forged the cheques and cashed the money out to cater for her boyfriend’s expenses and also for her own needs.
She told the officer she knew what she was doing was wrong but believed that if her uncle found out he would forgive her because she is her fa’ētangata.
However, when her adopted uncle found out about what she did he broke off all ties with the defendant and demanded that his sister and husband removed ‘Ofa from his house.
‘Ofa told the probation officer that she has now gone through the process of the court and has not only brought shame upon herself and her family but her actions have also ruined the relationship she had with her adopted family.
Justice Langi fully suspended ‘Ofa’s sentence for one year on the conditions that she is not to commit any offence punishable by imprisonment for the period of her suspension. That ‘Ofa is placed on probation for the period of her suspension. She is to undertake and complete the Salvation Army Life Skills program. The defendant is to complete 80 hours of community service under the direction of the probation office and to report to the Probation Office by Monday 1 February 2021.
FAKAMATALA FAKA-TONGA
Na’e toloi malu’i angalelei kakato e tautea ngāue pōpula māhina ‘e 15 ‘o Lolina ‘ofa ta’u 24 ‘o Tokomololo ;i ha ta’u ‘e taha, hili ‘a ‘ene hā ‘i he Fakamaau’anga Lahi’ faka’ilo ki he hia ko e kaiha’a, fakamo’oni loi mo ngāue’aki ha ngaahi pepa kuo fakamo’oni loi’i ‘i he ‘ilo’ilo pau. Ko e hili ‘eni hono toutou toho ‘e ‘Ofa ha sieke ‘e 43 ne ne fakamo’oni loi’i ai e hingoa e taha ‘a’ana ‘a e pisinisi ‘i Tokomololo ko e ‘Lyfe Apparel and Signage’. Ko e ‘ouna ‘o e pisinisi’ ko Sonatane Hafoka. Na’e fe’unga e pa’anga katoa ne kesi ta’etotonu heni ‘e ‘Ofa mo e $18,189.60. Ne fakahoko ‘eni ‘oku ‘i ‘Aositelēlia ‘a Hafoka ‘a ia ‘oku nofo pe ia ai. Ne fakatokanga’i ‘e Hafoka ‘oku ‘i ai e fe’amokaki ngali kehe ‘i he tu’unga fakapa’anga ‘o ‘ene ‘akauni ‘o ne lāunga ai ki he pangikē BSP ‘i Tonga ‘o ‘ilo ko ‘Ofa ne ne fai ‘a e ngāue pango’ ni. Na’e pusiaki ‘a ‘Ofa ‘e ha ongomātu’a ko e tamai’ ko ‘ene fa’ētangata mo’oni. Ko e mali ‘ene fa’ētanga’ ko e tuofefine ia ‘o Hafoka. Ne iku totongi fakafoki ‘e he pangikee’ e pa’anga ‘a Hafoka hili ha’anau alea mo e ongo mātu’a totonu ‘a ‘Ofa’ te na tā fakafoki kotoa ange ‘aki ‘a e $500 he māhina.
(NZ) A 19-year-old Tongan man was fighting for his life in hospital after an unprovoked attack in Christchurch early on Sunday morning.
Police are hunting this man following the unprovoked assault on Taufateau in central Christchurch early on Sunday.
Leni Taufaeteau was knocked unconscious by a Mongrel Mob member in front of dozens of onlookers.
The incident was caught on camera, footage released by police as they continue to hunt for Taufateau’s attacker.
“Taufateau, who moved to Christchurch from Tonga on a rugby scholarship at St Thomas of Canterbury College, had spent the day playing at a rugby league tournament before going to a prize-giving and on to a friend’s 21st birthday,” Stuff reported.
Detective Senior Sergeant Nicola Reeves confirmed that Taufateau’s attacker was a Mongrel Mob member who was in town socialising.
Police are appealing for information following an assault on Oxford Terrace in the early hours of 31 January 2021.
At around 1am a man was punched in an unprovoked attack by another male causing the victim to fall to the ground and hit his head on the pavement.
Taufateau remains in hospital after the unprovoked attack, where his prognosis is uncertain.
The offender was one of a group of Mongrel Mob who were socialising in town at the time and is described as Maori with tattoos on his arms, wearing black clothing, a black hat and a red bandana wrapped around his wrist.
Given the large numbers of people who were in the area at the time, Police believe members of the public may have videos or photographs of the assault and/or the offender.
Anyone who has information about the assault is encouraged to contact Police on 105 quoting file number 210131/5776 or anonymously on 0800 Crimestoppers.
FAKAMATALA FAKA-TONGA
‘Oku kei fakaakeake ‘i ha tu’unga faingata’a’ia ‘a Leni Taufateau, 19, ‘i ha falemahaki ‘i Kalaiseesi, Nu’u Sila hili hano ‘ohofi ta’e tene fakatupunga ha me’a ‘i he hengihengi Sāpate’. ‘Oku tukuaki’i ‘e he kau polisi’ ‘a e tā fakalavea’ ni ki ha tangata Maori mei he kau kengi Mongorel Mob. Na’e ma’u ‘a e me’a ne hoko’ ‘i ha vitiō le’o ‘o to’o mei ai ‘e he kau polisi e ‘ata ‘o e toko taha ko ‘eni ‘oku tukuaki’i ki ai ‘a e ‘ohofi’ ‘o tuku mai ki he kakai’ na’a ‘oku ‘ilo taha ki ai pea fakahoko ange. Ko Taufateau ne toki ha’u mei Tonga ‘o ako ‘i ha sikolasipi ‘akapulu ‘iunioni ‘i he St Thomas of Canterbury College.
The Tonga government funds for non-government high schools have been withheld again by the Ministry of Education and Training for more than three years now, it has been revealed.
Lord Sevele O Vailahi
The Ministry withheld the money after it was discovered that some of the grants had not been used according to the purpose of the funding programme.
The revelation was made by Lord Sevele ‘O Vailahi in a speech last week during a live streamed ceremony in Tongatapu attended by the Prime Minister Pōhiva Tu’i’onetoa.
“Today only part of that money has been paid to the teachers,” Lord Sevele said.
“That’s not right.
“That money was authorised by the Parliament and was allocated from the people’s tax money to help increase the teachers’ salaries.”
Dr Sevele asked Hon Tu’i’onetoa to help fix the problem.
He said it was unfortunate some schools did not use the money according to the purpose of the funding programme.
He said that is “wrong and illegal”.
He said there was a case now before the court regarding an alleged misuse of the funding programme. The noble was referring to the court case in which the Minister of Infrastructure ‘Akosita Lavulavu and her husband Etuate had been charged after auditors uncovered irregularities in a 2016 audit of the ‘Unuaki ‘o Tonga Royal Institute, of which Mrs Lavulavu was a director.
Lord Sevele, a former Prime Minister and Director of Catholic Schools said the churches have breached an agreement he and a committee successfully arranged with the government in 1986 to help support the non-government schools financially.
He said he has calculated the money that has been withheld from the funding programme in the last three years was over a million.
“That’s huge money,” he told listeners.
The money was intended to top up non-government school teachers’ pay to match the equivalent of high salaries offered by the government to its teachers.
Lord Sevele said the grant paid $20 per head for each non-government school student when the programme started more than 40 years ago.
Today the government has paid $700 per student.
NZ and Australia funding
The catastrophe for the private schools came after the Australian and New Zealand funds for non-government high schools have been withheld by the Tongan Ministry of Education and Training in 2016.
As we reported at the time, the Ministry withheld the money after it was discovered that some of the grants had not been used according to the purpose of the funding programme.
New Zealand and Australia co-fund a multi-million dollar programme for secondary schools in the kingdom.
At the time, the then Free Wesleyan Church Schools’ Director of Education, Dr Mele’ana Puloka, said it had been two years since New Zealand and Australian funding was held back from the church’s schools.
She said she knew there were good reasons why the funding had been withheld, but the church could not only pay its teachers and disregard other staff working outside the classrooms.
In 2011 the grant paid TP$400 per head for each non-government school student, made up of TP$100 from Australia, TP$100 from New Zealand and TP$200 from the Tongan government.
The New Zealand and Australian funding was finally released the same year.
FAKAMATALA FAKA-TONGA
Kuo ‘i ai ‘a e tui ne maumau’i ‘e he ngaahi ako siasi e aleapau ne fai mo e pule’anga’ ‘o iku kei ta’ofi tu’u ai e laui miliona pa’anga ne totonu ke tokoni ki he vāhenga kau faiako siasi’. Ko ha alea ‘eni ne fakapapau’i ‘i he ta’u 1986 ke fakapa’anga ‘e he pule’anga $20 e fo’i ‘ulu ‘o e toko taha ako siasi kotoa pe. ‘I he ‘aho ni kuo a’u ki he $700 ki he fo’i ‘ulu ‘a e tokoni ko ia’. Ka kuo mahino kuo ‘ikai ngāue’aki ‘e he ngaahi ako’ ‘a e tokoni ko ‘eni ki hono taumu’a totonu’ ‘a ia ko e tokoni ki he vāhenga ‘a e kau faiako kae ngāue’aki ia ki he ngaahi me’a kehe. Kuo laka hake ‘i he ta’u ‘e tolu ‘a hono ta’ofi ‘o e tokoni ko ‘eni’ ‘e he pule’anga’. ‘I he 2016 ne lipooti atu ai ‘e he Kaniva’ hono ta’ofi tu’u ‘a e tokoni ‘a Nu’u Sila mo ‘Aositelēlia ki he ngaahi ako ‘a Tonga’ ai pe he ‘uhinga tatau ko hono maumau’i ‘e he ngaahi siasi’ ‘a e aleapau ki he taumu’a ‘o e pa’anga’.
A Senior Magistrate in Nuku’alofa has temporarily banned law enforcement authorities from collecting money from people who have been fined under new road safety measures the government signed into law in October 2020.
Transport Minister Hon ‘Akosita Lavulavu
The magistrate has ordered the new traffic, land transport and vehicle use laws to be revised, citing concerns over the large amounts of money fines it has imposed, the Kakalu ‘O Tonga newspaper reported.
The paper cited government sources who supported the Magistrate’s decision and claimed the basis on which the law was created appeared to be invalid.
The new law, which was introduced by the Minster of Transport ‘Akosita Lavulavu included the compulsory wearing of seatbelts, made the use of mobile phones while driving illegal and mandated that cars cannot be used without a registration plate.
Children must also be seated when a vehicle is in motion, and they can no longer sit on the driver’s lap.
Playing loud music, extreme tinting and the addition of blinking, colourful or distracting lights have also been prohibited.
At the time, Hon. Lavulavu said the laws would make Tonga’s public roads safer.
The deadliest year on the roads in the past 10 years was 2018, with 21 deaths.
“The Traffic Act 2020 and the Roads Act 2020 have long been discussed and consulted on with the public and by the government during its passage through the legislative assembly,” the Ministry of Infrastructure said.
Criticisms
The law had been widely criticised by the public from the outset both in the local news and social media.
The gist of the condemnation has been that while the vast majority of people in Tonga owned vehicles, they did not have sources of income.
Critics cited sources from police who claimed most fatal accidents in Tonga were caused by speeding and drink driving.
Late last year photos of vehicles in Ha’apai shared on social media showed pick up vans full of people standing in the back while the vans were moving.
This was typical in December when villages only had pick up trucks to transport their supporters and players during the basketball season.
Commentaters on Facebook have asked what the government could do for these passengers and drivers of the Ha’apai pick up when the law for seatbelts was already in place.
Some believed the seatbelts law did not consider the fact that pick up trucks had been used to transport people in Tonga for a long time. They claimed that these vehicles appeared to have rarely been involved in road accidents.
Supporters of the law said if all drivers and passengers followed what the law stipulated Police would hardly fine anybody.
Photo of pick up vans full of people standing in the back while the vans were moving across Foa Island causeway in Ha’apai. Photo/Facebook
Loud music
The new law says that anybody playing loud music without permission while driving will face a fine of TP$500 for the first offence, a month in jail if they do not pay the fine and a TP$1000 fine for each subsequent offence, or three months in prison.
The Court can also also order that the convicted person be disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver’s license for a year.
Seatbelts
Every person driving a motor vehicle or riding in the front seat of a motor vehicle (other than a motor cycle) who does not wear an adult seatbelt commits an offence. This does not apply to a person riding in the front seat who is under 12 years
The Principal Licensing Authority may declare by notice in the Government Gazette additional mandatory requirements for motor vehicles to have working seatbelts before registration and licencing, and any additional requirements for rear seats and infant seats. It shall not be a defence to any person charged with driving or riding in the front of a motor vehicle without wearing an adult seatbelt, if the motor vehicle does not have seatbelts, or has defective seatbelts. Anybody who fails to comply with any of the provisions of this section will be guilty of an offence.
A second tropical cyclone has formed in Fiji at midnight February 1 and has been named Tropical Cyclone Bina.
[SOURCE: FIJI METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE]According to the Fiji Meteorological Service track map, Category One Bina is located Northwest of Fiji and is anticipated to track southeastwards towards the country.
The Weather Office says TC Bina is a fast-moving system.
Meanwhile, Tropical Cyclone Ana has been upgraded to a severe category three system as of midnight.
The Fiji Meteorological Service says the system is currently moving at 13km/hr over open waters.
According to the Fiji Meteorological Service track map, TC Ana is moving further away from Kadavu and is picking up speed.
Tonga Met said this morning February 1 at 5am TC Ana on its current track, could bring destructive storm force winds to Tonga.
It is expected to make landfall at Tele-ki-Tonga and Tele-ki-Tokelau and delivered damaging gale force winds to Haapai, Tongatapu and Eua groups by late today or early Tuesday.
Associated strong winds, cloudy conditions with periods of heavy rain and thunderstorm continues to affect Tonga.
A storm warning remains in force for Tele-Ki-Tonga and Tele-Ki-Tokelau coastal waters.
A gale warning remains in force for the island groups and coastal waters of Ha’apai, Tongatapu and ‘Eua.
A strong wind warning remains in force for the Niuas and Vava’u land areas and coastal waters.
A heavy damaging swell and small craft advisory remains in force for all of Tonga coastal waters.
A heavy rain warning and flash flood advisory remains in force for all of Tonga land areas.
