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New Zealand Immigration Tribunal grants appeal for Tongan family to remain

By
Philip Cass
-

The Immigration and Protection Tribunal has granted an appeal to a Tongan family to stay in New Zealand.

The family, which has only been identified as ‘BN’, consists of  a 34-year-old husband and a 31-year-old wife, who are citizens of Tonga.

The appeals included their three children, two sons, aged five and three years, and a daughter, aged 18 months.

The husband and wife were born in Tonga. The wife arrived in New Zealand in November 2006 when she was 19. Her visa expired the following month and she had been unlawfully in New Zealand since then.

The husband arrived in New Zealand in October 2008 on a visitor visa, which was renewed until April 2009. He had been unlawfully in New Zealand since then. The couple married in 2010 and have three children together.

The husband has been working illegally in New Zealand, most recently operating his own construction company which he incorporated in 2017.

He has been supporting his immediate family in New Zealand and family members who live in Tonga through the income he receives from this business.

The wife no longer has any immediate family members living in Tonga. She has extended family relatives living in New Zealand as permanent residents.

The husband has one sister living in New Zealand as a permanent resident with her family.

The Tribunal found that there were exceptional humanitarian circumstances, particularly their children’s best interests, that would make it unjust or unduly harsh for them to be deported from New Zealand.

The Tribunal also found that it would not be contrary to the public interest to allow the family to remain in New Zealand.

Allowing them to stay would promote family unity and enable the husband to lawfully contribute to the economy through the construction industry, in addition to the ability of the family to contribute to the community through their involvement in church and schools.

The main points

  • The Immigration and Protection Tribunal has granted an appeal to a Tongan family to stay in New Zealand.
  • The family consists of a 34-year-old husband and a 31-year-old wife, who are citizens of Tonga and their three children.

Men accused of raping 53-yo woman in east Tongatapu appear in court

By
Kalino Latu
-

The men charged with raping of a 53 year-old woman in Holonga in July have been warned of their trespass order and told to stay away from the victim .

Heneli Valeli and Timote Kaufusi appeared in the Mu’a Magistrate court on October 8.

They have been charged with indecent assault and burglary, Taimi ‘O Tonga newspaper has reported.

The court was told the duo had been drinking before they went looking for more alcohol, the paper said.

They allegedly broke into a retail shop before they escaped with goods.

They broke into the shop’s next door neighbour and allegedly raping the victim.

The victim was home alone when the incident occurred.

The accused are expected to reappear at the Supreme Court, the paper said.

Security guard pleads not guilty in relation to the death of Sione Feo

By
Kalino Latu
-

A security guard has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter in relation to the death of Sione Lau’i Feo.

‘Atonio Moeaki appeared in Nuku’alofa Supreme Court on September 27, where his counsel entered not guilty pleas on behalf of his client for three charges: murder, manslaughter and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, Taimi ‘O Tonga newspaper has reported.

Moeaki has elected a trial by jury and will reappear in court next year, the paper said.

Feo died in Vaiola Hospital on February 16, seven days after he was found unconscious outside Nauti Ruby nightclub by police on February 9.

As Kaniva news reported at the time, Feo, who was believed to be in his 20s,  was a dentist at Vaiola dental care services after returning from the University of the South Pacific in December 2017.

Tonga represents Pacific at gathering in Europe

By
Philip Cass
-

Tonga and Samoa have been representing the Pacific at an international meeting of parliamentarians in Belgium.

The Deputy Speaker, Lord Tuilakepa, and Tongatapu 3 MP Siaosi Sovaleni joined parliamentarians from the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States at a joint parliamentary assembly with the European Union in Brussels.

Lord Tuilakepa said it was important to have a say in these institutions and to be kept up to date on major international issues such as climate change.

Tonga, Samoa and the Seychelles successfully put forward a proposal on climate change that reflected the importance of the forthcoming international meeting in Poland.

The Brussels meeting passed on resolutions on cybercrime and drug trafficking; the role of small and medium enterprises in economic transformation and wildlife trafficking.

Hon. Sovaleni said the fight against cybercrime and the use of technology by drug traffickers was a major concern.

He said members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States should consider joining the Council of Europe’s Convention on cybercrime to fight the problem.

Tonga said while small and medium sized businesses needed support, but funding should address building climate resilience, especially when they are vulnerable to cyclones and flooding.

The ACP Parliament has 79 countries.

The main points

  • The Deputy Speaker, Lord Tuilakepa, and Tongatapu 3 MP Siaosi Sovaleni have been representing Tonga at an international meeting of parliamentarians in Belgium.
  • Tonga represented the Pacific along with Samoa.

Wellington Police search for passenger and driver following Sosiua Ula’s death

By
Kalino Latu
-

Police were looking for a passenger who was in the same car as Tongan teen Sosiua Helotu Ula, who died after falling out of the vehicle in Porirua on Sunday.

Police believed Ula, 19, fell out of a black Mercedes on Warspite Ave just before 4pm on Sunday.

Senior Sergeant Christiaan Barnard said Ula died in hospital on Tuesday of his injuries.

The black Mercedes was seized by Police on Sunday evening. It was seen in the Waitangirua area that afternoon.

The driver of the Mercedes, registration GPW495, was arrested and has appeared in court charged with driving while disqualified and supplying methamphetamine.

The second person of interest is the driver of a silver Mazda RX8, seen at the Waitangirua shops just before 4pm on Sunday, which was then seen driving at speed in Warspite Avenue behind the Mercedes.

We believe the driver of this car has information that will assist Police with the homicide investigation.

Barnard was appealing for both the passenger in the Mercedes and the driver of the Mazda to come forward and speak with Police, along with anyone who saw either of these two vehicles in the Waitangirua area on Sunday afternoon who has not yet spoken with us.

If you can help, please call Wellington Police Crime Squad on (04) 381 2000.

Information can also be provided anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Homicide investigation after Tongan teen died falling from car in Wellington

Plea for Tongan teenage players vanished on a tour of Australia to come home

By
Kaniva Staff
-

By SOPHIE TANNO FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

A Tongan rugby coach has made a heartfelt plea for two teenage players who vanished on a tour of Australia to return home.

The boys, both aged just 18, decided to stay in Australia, rather than return to their home country of Tonga following an overseas team trip.

Coach Will Hafu said he was shocked to discover that the two boys, Sione Lolo, and Sione Osika, were part of his sevens rugby team.

‘Tonga U18s have returned from Australia with two less players…. To my shock its two of my 7s boys, both extremely talented and great kids,’ Mr Hafu said in a Facebook post.

‘They have bright futures and [can do] much more than running from immigration for the rest of their lives.’

He went on to state that whoever is keeping them hidden Australia has ‘no regard to their future or their families’ and are not helping them in any way.

‘These two have both worked too hard all year to throw it all away, in what they might be regretting now.’

He went on to address the two boys directly; ‘If you are reading this boys…. Foki mai ki api. ta mai, message mai. ofa atu fanga tokoua.’

Tonga is a country made up of 169 islands, of which 36 are inhabited.

Mr Hafu’s plea comes just months after over 19 athletes from different African countries went missing after the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

Five of them were later discovered seeking asylum in Canberra.

Government raises concerns over Parliament delaying their response to petition

By
Kalino Latu
-

Police Minister Māteni Tapueluelu told Parliament the government was concerned that the  Speaker had not given the government an opportunity to respond to allegations against seven government Ministers, including the Prime Minister.

The government was concerned that allegations in a petition organised by PSA head Mele ‘Amanaki, which had been presented to Parliament in June, were aired in public before they had been given to the Auditor General to examine.

Hon. Tapueluelu said the government believed it had a “right to reply”.

He said the government thought the petition would not be aired publicly until the auditing was finished.

The ministers who were accused in the petition have submitted their responses to the Speaker Lord Fakafanua. But the Speaker has passed them on to the Privilege Committee to examine.

Hon Tapueluelu said the government’s response had been tied (“nono’o”) together with the Auditors’ report.

He said the public had been waiting for the government’s response.

The allegations in the petition had been used by anti-government factions as weapons to attack government on social media.

The petition was strongly backed by unsuccessful parliamentary candidates and some de facto Democrat MPs.

After about three months when the petition was read in the House some of the cabinet ministers who had been accused came forward and responded through Kaniva news.

They vehemently denied the allegations and criticized the petitioners saying they had held a grudge against them after the PTOA Party dumped ‘Amanaki in last year’s snap election.

The Ministers had great concerns at how the Speaker had allowed the petition, which had not been scrutinised by a Parliamentary authority, to be aired in the public.

Deputy Prime Minister Semisi Sika echoed the concern.

The Police Minister said the response from government should have been read out without waiting for the Auditor.

“Auditing and responding to allegation were two different things,” Hon Tapueluelu told the Speaker in Tongan.

The Speaker told the Minister of Police on Monday their responses had been passed on to the Privilege Committee and would be read out in the House soon.

The main points

  • Police Minister Mateni Tapueluelu told Parliament the government was concerned that the Speaker had not given the government an opportunity to respond to allegations against seven government Ministers, including the Prime Minister.
  • The government was concerned that allegations in a petition, which had been presented to Parliament, were aired in public before they had been given to the Auditor General to examine.

For more information

Leaked e-mails appear to show fear lawyer’s unpaid debt could affect Tongasat case

VIDEO: 5000 fans greet Tongan team, but five times as many will see them at Mt Smart stadium

By
Philip Cass
-

An estimated 5000 fans out to greet Mate Ma’a Tonga in Manukau, but five times that number are expected to watch them face off against the Kangaroos on Saturday week.

The Mt Smart stadium, where the Mate Ma’a Tonga will take on Australia on October 20 holds more than 25,000 spectators and there are few tickets left.

In contrast, tickets for this Saturday’s rugby league clash between New Zealand and Australia are selling slowly and NZRL boss Greg Peters admitted he would be happy if 15,000 turned up.

Last year Mate Ma’a Tonga downed New Zealand 28-22 at Waikato Stadium during the Rugby League World Cup.

Last night the Vodafone Events Centre was filled to capacity by Tongan supporters wearing the red and white of the kingdom’s flag.

The team’s flight from Sydney was delayed for several hours, but their fans were prepared to wait and greeted the Tongan players with a rendition of Tutira Mai Nga Iwi.

The Manukau event was held to prevent the chaos that occurred last year when thousands of Mate Ma’a Tonga fans filled the airport to greet the players on arrival and caused widespread congestion on nearby roads.

Fans have put out a call on social media for Andrew Fifita to lead the team’s traditional war cry, the Sipi Tau, on the field when they face the Kangaroos.

As Kaniva news reported on the weekend, Sika Manu will lead Mate Ma’a Tonga against Australia on October 20 after being cleared of a serious knee injury.

It was thought he would not be able to play against Australia before coach Kristian Woolf named him in the 19 man squad for the test.

“We are extending every resource we can to give this challenge our absolute best effort,” Woolf said.

Manu told Radio New Zealand the team was looking forward to their first clash with Australia.

“We’re very confident we can get the job done and like I said we just have to prepare as well as we can and then take it out onto the field,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga, who campaigned to make the long-delayed game a reality, said the first ever Test match against Tonga would be “a historic occasion, not only for the Kangaroos, but for the game as well.”

NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg said Tonga had earned the right to take on the world champions.

The Tonga-Australia game will kick off at 7.35pm on October 20.

The main points

  • An estimated 5000 fans out to greet Mate Ma’a Tonga in Manukau, but five times that number are expected to watch them face off against the Kangaroos on Saturday week.
  • The Mt Smart stadium, where the Mate Ma’a Tonga will take on Australia on October 20 holds more than 25,000 spectators and there are few tickets left.
  • Mate Ma’a Tonga captain Sika Manu said the team was looking forward to their first clash with the world champions.

For more information 

Fans turn out in force to greet Mate Ma’a Tonga rugby league team

Tongan league fans emotional, excited to welcome team to NZ

Homicide investigation after Tongan teen died falling from car in Wellington

By
Kalino Latu
-

A Tongan man who fell out of a moving car in Porirua has died and police said they were treating his death as a homicide.

Sosiua Helotu Ula, 19, was found with critical injuries after the incident on Warspite Ave just after 4pm on Sunday.

The Auckland resident was taken to Wellington Hospital, but died of his injuries on Tuesday night

“Just after 4pm on Sunday 7 October, Police and other emergency services attended a scene on Warspite Avenue, where a man was located on the road with critical injuries,” said Detective Senior Sergeant Christiaan Barnard.

Banard said Ula’s inquiries have established that he has fallen from a vehicle.

Wellington Police are still seeking the public’s help identifying anyone who may have witnessed this incident in Porirua on Sunday.

Ula was described as solidly built, around 185cm (6 foot) tall, with a short black hair cut.

He had a small amount of facial hair on his chin.

Police are seeking to reconstruct Ula’s movements before he sustained his fatal injuries, and are appealing to the public for help.

Police still wanting any sightings of a black Mercedes, registration GPW495.

Police would like to urgently speak to anyone who saw the Mercedes or any other car driving erratically near Waitangirua Mall that day.

Police are appealing for the driver of a red car driving east on Warspite Avenue that nearly had a head on crash with the Mercedes to come forward.

One person was taken into custody in relation to the incident and has been charged with driving while disqualified and supplying methamphetamine.

Anyone with information, no matter how small, can call Wellington Police Crime Squad on (04) 381 2000, or alternatively Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Finance, Education Ministers deny PSA head’s accusation against them, saying it was evil-minded

By
Kalino Latu
-

The Minister of Finance Pōhiva Tu’i’onetoa and Minister of Education Penisimani Fifita have denied serious accusation against them which appeared in a recent petition to Parliament.

Hon. Tu’i’onetoa described the organiser of the petition’s intention as evil minded, while Hon. Fifita described it as incorrect and an attempt to mislead Parliament and the public.

The petition, which was organized by the PSA head Mele ‘Amanaki, alleged that Hon, Tu’i’onetoa breached the constitution by failing to submit to Parliament annual reports for all the ministries that came under his control from 2015 – 2017.

The Ministers came forward after the Speaker of the House allowed the petition to be aired in public without the seven cabinet members named being given the chance to tell their sides of the story.

Hon. Fifita has denied allegations in the petition that his move to give another two-year contract to international computer consultant Piveni Piukala was unlawful.

Hon. Fifita said the move was lawful and the cost of Piukala’s work was TP$93,000. He said a claim in the petition that the work cost TP$100,000 was incorrect.

He said the work was in accordance with the 2013 Education Act.

He said his Education Management Information System (EMIS) department had requested that their work systems be computerised to the same level Piukala achieved with the Education Department of Curriculums.

Hon. Tu’i’onetoa denied allegation in the petition that Hon. Fifita had compelled the Ministry of Finance’s Government Procurement Committee (GPC) to approve the job using the single source  selection process.

Annual ministerial reports

Hon. Tu’i’onetoa claimed not only he has filed and submitted all the annual reports for his Ministries since 2015 – 2017 he also has filed and submitted reports for these Ministries which had not been submitted by the Ministers before him since 2013.

He said he was now the Finance Minister for just seven month but he has filed and submitted to Parliament the Ministry’s annual reports for four years starting from 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016.

He said the petitioners should have petitioned against those Ministers before him who did not file these annual reports.

No Contract with Piukala

The petition alleged there was a contract between Piukala and the Ministry of Education.

Hon. Tu’i’onetoa told Kaniva news there was no contractual agreement between the Ministry of Education and Piukala.

Hon. Tu’i’onetoa said Hon. Fifita and his CEO Claude Tupou asked that the job be approved using the single source selection process in March 2017. It had taken seven months before the Cabinet asked him to look at the issue when he was Acting Minister of Finance last year.

Tupou later withdrew his support for the single source selection process for Piukala after he alleged he had been warned by the Ministry of Finance’s Central Procurement Unit (CPU).

Hon. Tu’i’onetoa said the cabinet decision came after Hon. Fifita complained that the process of Piukala’s employment had taken too long.

Wrong advice

The Finance Minister said it took too long for the job to be approved because the Ministry of Education was wrongly advised by the CPU that it was illegal to approve the job using the single source selection process.

Hon. Tu’i’onetoa said section 34 of the regulations for government procurements allowed the process for Piukala because he fitted the requirement of the section.

He said the CPU did not seek advice from the Government’s Procurement Committee (GPC).

He said the Solicitor General was a member of the GPC and if the CPU had done the right thing by submitting the issue on Piukala’s application to the GPC they would have received the right advice.

Hon. Tu’i’onetoa said he called meetings to look at the issue and discovered the decision to give the work to Piukala had not been submitted to the GPC.

Petition was wrong

The Minister said the allegation in ‘Amanaki’s petition that the single source selection process could only be used if government expenditure was under TP$3,000 was wrong.

“There was no regulation like that for the government’s procurement policy 2015,” he said.

The correct advice should be that the single source selection process could be used if one of the conditions of Section 34 is fulfilled.

Hon. Tu’i’onetoa said the CPU spent three months providing incorrect advice about the single source selection process.

Competitive bidding cancelled

He said when the GPC became aware of the issue and advised that single sourcing of Piukala was lawful the government then cancelled the competitive bidding process it had started.

Hon. Tu’i’onetoa said the government has wasted time on the matter.

The Minister said he thought the process took a long time because the Educatiom CEO Claude Tupou and the Head of the CPU were unwilling to give the job to Piukala.

According to Kele’a newspaper, Tupou told Hon. Fifita he did not want to sign Piukala’s contract because he did not want to lose his job.

Hon. Tu’i’onetoa said there was nothing illegal in giving the job to Piukala, but according to minutes of meetings, the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Finance were warned to avoid involving political interests in the process.

Kaniva news had been told one of the minutes read: “We need to protect any political issues raised by this work. It has happened before.”

“My question is what are the political issues. Was there breach of any laws or it was just the hearts that were occupied by malice?” Hon. Tu’i’onetoa said.

‘Amanaki, who openly expressed her disappointment against Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pōhiva and his government on Facebook after she was dumped by the PTOA party in the November snap election, has continued to campaign against the Prime Minister and the Party.

Her petition also asks that an audit be carried out on some government department’s budgets from 2015 until now.

For more information

Leaked e-mails appear to show fear lawyer’s unpaid debt could affect Tongasat case

https://kanivatonga.co.nz/2018/06/psa-boss-accuses-critics-of-signing-petition-using-swear-words-signatures-in-question/

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