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Supreme Court dismisses 12 year old case, says charges ‘misconceived’ and no case to answer

By
Philip Cass
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The Supreme Court has dismissed a 12 years-old accusation of theft.

In 2008 Heleni Ruby Ma’afu, an employee of Pacific Travel Marketing Ltd, took TP$36,046 from bank cards of customers of Pacific Travel Marketing Ltd.

The case was not received by the attorney general for prosecution until 2018, which the judge described as “inordinate delay.”

There was no dispute that she had wrongly used customer’s credit card details to pay for travel on occasions when no travel debts were outstanding with the company. As a result, various sums were provided to the company as credit.

When she was caught she was fired and any financial losses had to be made good. A complaint was made to the police.

“There is no  complaint that the accused used any money for her own purposes but it is alleged she used the money to enhance the company’s position and reduce its overdraft, although it is apparent why she was motivated to do this,” the judge said.

The defence argued that Ma’afu had not done anything which involved taking property under section 143 of the Criminal Offences act.

The judge said the wording of the charge against her was misconceived and suggested she too he money from bank cards of customers.

“She did not take any money,” the judge said.

“All she did by her deception was to influence the advancing of credits to the bank for the fictitious debts if its customers.

“For these reasons I rule that the case cannot amount to a dishonest “taking” as section 143 require.

“The Crown cannot establish a prima facie case, so I rule the accused has no case to answer and the case is dismissed.”

WHO says virus threat remains high while Tonga continues to work on quarantine space

By
Kaniva Staff
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The Tongan government is still working on preparing a quarantine space for people affected  by the corona virus.

No cases have been reported in the kingdom so far.

The Ministry of Health said it was working with the World Health Organisation on making sure the best preventative measures were in place while preparing for the worst case.

WHO is providing protective equipment including masks, gowns, gloves, hand washing aids, to protect both health workers and the population from the possible spread of the virus.

The WHO continued to describe the regional and global threat level as high.

Last week the Tongan government turned away three cruise ships and a German super yacht.

Meanwhile, officials from the Ministry of Internal affairs met with the parents of athletes being evacuated from Tonga.

About 50 students and officials have been flown to London and are reported to be in good health. 

Four Tongan are quarantined in New Zealand.

When the virus broke out in Wuhan, more than 100 Tongans were  in  China.  This    included  Tongan students, the Tonga Ambassador’s office, Tongan athletes and Tongan visitors.

The main points

  • The Tongan government is still working on preparing a quarantine space for people affected  by the corona virus.
  • No cases have been reported in the kingdom so far.

Incorrect report of death: Apology to Rev Tēvita Latailakepa’s family

By
Kalino Latu
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From the Editor:

Kaniva Tonga news apologises unreservedly to former ‘Ikale Tahi player and Free Wesleyan Church minister Rev. Tevita Latailakepa, his family, kāinga and friends following the incorrect report this morning on our news website that he had died.

As Editor I take responsibility for the mistake, which should never have occurred.

I have tried  personally to speak to Sela Latailakepa, the wife of Tevita but have not been able to reach her.  

I understand the family are by Rev. Latailakepa’s bedside and I have apologised for adding to their grief.

Early this morning we noticed reports by some ex-high school  classmates of Tevita at Tupou College and Free Wesleyan Church ministers that Tevita has died.

Our normal procedure in such circumstances is to seek confirmation from the immediate family or those who are very closed with the person in question.

Unfortunately, our sources got it wrong too.

We are currently looking into what checks were made regarding the sources we based our story on, with a view to ensuring procedures are reviewed to ensure that there is no repeat of this type of error in the future.

Former ‘Īkale Tahi player and chair of Rugby Union Board dies

By
Kalino Latu
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Former ‘Ikale Tahi number eight Tēvita Latailakepa has died.

His cause of death is yet to be officially released.

He was a minister of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga and a former tutor at Tupou College.

He was a respected coach locally since his tenure as Tupou College 1st XV Rugby team coach saw the school regularly winning the Inter-College Rugby Tournament Cup.

Rev Latailakepa was elected chairman of the Tonga Rugby Union Board in 2011 to replace Bob Tuckey who resigned over his differences with the team’s coach.

Blind woman disappointed after sexual harassment complaints dropped; Police Minister “promises” and asks to relodge her complaints

By
Kalino Latu
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A woman who said she was blind told a government and constituency meeting this week she was concerned at how police treated complaints by people with disabilities.

She described the way how police dealt with their complaints as very poor (“mā’olalo ‘aupito.”)

The woman claimed she was sexually harassed twice since she went blind in 2002.

She said she lodged a complaint with police but it was dropped outright because, according to her, police said no one could witness the harassment took place.

She was allegedly sexually harassed for a second time and she again filed a complaint but police gave her the same response.

The woman told the meeting she was distressed by the way how police treated her complaints.

She asked the government to do something to make sure their complaints and concerns were treated fairly.

The Minister of Police, who was at the meeting, said in Tongan “Kou palōmesi” ( I promise) and invited the woman to relodge her complaints.

The meeting was part of a public fono organised by the Prime Minister’s Office to meet with people of all constituencies in Tonga.

Those who attended the meeting at Tongatapu 1 were concerned at liquor use and loud music coming from moving vehicles at their Sopu popular coastal end spot.

The Minister of Police Lord Nuku told the constituents there was no budget for police to adequately patrolled the streets, however he said his Ministry will look at reviewing its policy.   

The meeting was attended by the Prime Minister and some of his cabinet ministers.

Tonga’s dialysis services set to temporarily open at Vaiola hospital

By
Kalino Latu
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Tonga’s new dialysis facility is set to temporarily open at Vaiola hospital, according to sources who are involved with the project.

They said if things go according to plan the services are expected to open to the public in April.

The new dialysis centre was planned to be built at His Majesty’s Tufumāhina estate.

It is understood works to register the land were still in process.

Prime Minister Pōhiva Tu’i’onetoa has announced the dialysis facility was one of his government’s priorities.

As Kaniva previously reported in May last year, a private company in Salt Lake City was partnering with Tonga’s Ministry Of Health for the project.

The facility would be established “at no cost to the government.”

There is no dialysis available in Tonga which means those with end stage kidney disease have to travel overseas for costly dialysis or a kidney transplant.

Vava‘u authorities destroy boxes of rotting chicken

By
Kaniva Staff
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Around 400 boxes of rotting chicken have been destroyed in Vava’u after authorities inspected a refrigerated container at a Chinese shop in Neiafu today.

Neiafu Town Officer, Vāvā Lapota, said inspectors from MAFF have found the chicken to be unfit for consumption and were destroyed.

Lapota said the inspection came after complaints from customers.

He said they believed the owner of the container intermittently turned off the electricity in an attempt to save power but since the container was 40 ft long  this could not help kept the meat frozen from time to time.

Bags of expired flours and rotting salted beefs were previously found at the store, Lapota told Kaniva News.

Tongan evacuees released from NZ quarantine as kingdom’s final sports group arrive in London

By
Kalino Latu
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Four Tongans who have been quarantined at an Auckland navy base for two weeks were part of more than hundred evacuees who have started to be released after passing health checks this morning.

All have been cleared for release today, and New Zealand remains free from any confirmed cases of coronavirus, NZ Herald reported.

It said the first shuttles have left the military facility bound for Auckland Airport with Pacific Island nationals who will be returning home.

The New Zealanders will be released to return home after medical checks are complete around 1.30pm.

Meanwhile, a group of 25 Tongan athletes were welcomed in London by Tonga’s High Commissioner Hon Fanetupouvava’u Tu’ivakano.

It was the final Tongan group to be evacuated from China amid coronavirus outbreak.

They were expected to return to Tonga via Dubai and Auckland on March 5 and 7.

While in UK the 51 athletes are supervised under the medical supervision of British health professionals.  

CNN report said, all but five deaths from the virus have occurred inside mainland China, where an additional 98 fatal cases of Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, were reported Tuesday morning. The number of confirmed cases in China increased by 1,886, bringing the global total to over 73,325.

The vast majority of those cases have been in China, but concern has been growing in the past week over much smaller but growing outbreaks in Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong.

According to China’s National Health Commission, since the outbreak began in December, more than 12,500 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospital.

Accused to enter pleas after shooting leaves Tongan mother with serious injuries as hunt for Fisi‘ihoi’s killer continues

By
Kalino Latu
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Two Tongan men were expected to appear at the Manukau District Court today to enter pleas for the alleged shooting of a Tongan woman at a house on Dawson Rd, in Clover Park, Ōtara, in July last year.

The woman received gunshot wounds before she was hospitalised.

Her husband talked to Kaniva news this evening and said he wanted more publicity of the case.

He  said he had read Kaniva’s reports of the shooting death of a Tongan mother in Favona last month and wanted his wife’s case to be given the same coverage.

He said he wanted it to be a learning experience for the community.

The husband claimed the two men aged in their late 20s were responsible to two shots being fired which injured his wife before they got back into their car and drove off.

He said he wrote down the registration plate’s number of their car and reported it to Police.

At the time police said reports of a person being taken into custody near the southern motorway on-ramp, near Manukau, were related to the incident and they were speaking to a number of people in relation to the shooting.

A neighbour told Stuff at the time a large Tongan family with children lived at the house.

It has been a month now,  after Tongan mother and grandmother Meliame Fisi’ihoi was killed in her home, her killer remains at large.

The 57-year-old was gunned down at her house in the early hours of Wednesday, January 15.

Authorities were called to the house on Calthorp Close, Favona, after reports of a gunshot.

Board should stop prolonging Tonga’s Rugby League shame and go for the good of the game

By
Kaniva Staff
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Kaniva News Commentary

The expulsion of Tonga by the International Rugby League is a shameful development.

The Tonga  National Rugby League has now announced it will appeal the expulsion.

However, rather than prolonging this shameful farce, the TNRL’s leadership should resign en masse so a clean start can be made and the kingdom’s world class players can be backed up by a committee that is judged  by the IRL to meet international standards.

The TRNL was suspended in October after it sacked national head coach Kristian Woolf and players threatened a boycott of the World Cup Nines and end of season tests.

The International Rugby League recommended a package of reforms for the sport in Tonga in December at the end of a two-month investigation into how the game was run in the country.

TNRL Secretary William Edwards’ response to the proposed reforms was not helpful.

“This is being imposed against our will by a group of idiots that don’t know what is going on in Tonga, who think they know what is best for Tonga, and impose their will without our consultation, without our right to have a say, and they’re basically saying ‘we’re going to change you whether you like it or not’,” WIlliams said.

“Our association has been running since 1988, and we’ve put teams on the paddock since 1988 with great success and then all of a sudden he feels we’re doing something wrong that needs to be changed.

“What a joke.”

However, the IRL’s investigation was not a joke. It was carried out in response to concerns from, among others,  the then acting Prime Minister Semisi Sika, the Tonga Sports Council, the Rugby Football League, the Australian Rugby League Commission and the Rugby League Players Association.

For Edwards to respond in this way was tempting fate.

What was needed was a very public admission of failure over many years and a complete resignation of the existing board and a lifetime ban on them ever returning so that there could be a complete re-booting of the game in Tonga.

By pushing Tongan Rugby League onto the world stage,  Tonga’s Rugby League players, whether playing officially as the Mate Ma’a or not, have kept faith with their fans

Many fans, sadly, will think the TRNL board did not.  

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