A father who fondled and sucked his daughter’s breasts has been convicted by the Nuku’alofa Supreme Court.
He has permanent name suppression to protect the identity of his daughter.
He pleaded not guilty to two counts of serious indecent assaults.
However, the Lord Chief Justice Malcolm Bishop said he had no doubt the defendant committed the crimes against her daughter’s consent.
The court heard the complainant stated that on one occasion during the summer, the Defendant returned from a session of drinking Kava and returned to their property while the complainant was asleep.
They shared the same bed.
She woke up to find the defendant “massaging both my breasts” and sucking them.
“He then pulled down my shirt and slept next to me,” read the court document.
She said she kept quiet because she was afraid.
The defendant claimed that these allegations were made up because of a disagreement between himself and the complainant about how she should conduct her life.
He also alleged that the allegations against him were engineered by his estranged wife, who was jealous of his new partner.
He said he wanted the complainant to return to school and give up the inappropriate relationship she was having with her boyfriend and others.
The Lord Chief Justice did not buy it, saying he trusted that the young girl was honest and straightforward.
“She did not exaggerate, she accepted that she had shown affection to the complainant her father. She did not excuse her behaviour about not going to school, about absconding and going to live with her boyfriend, nor was her evidence in my judgement animated by anything other than a resigned acceptance that she must tell the truth. This is what in my view she did”, Mr Bishop said.
He found the defendant guilty of both counts of serious indecent assaults.
“I further order that nothing which leads to the identity of the complainant must be published and any report of these proceedings must anonymise all parties so that the identity of the complainant is protected pursuant to s119 of the Criminal Offences Act”.
The Kremlin said Friday that it welcomed the president-elect’s willingness to talk and that there would likely be progress on the subject after he is sworn in later this month.
President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in Finland in 2018. Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP file
President-elect Donald Trump said late Thursday that a meeting is being arranged with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, a summit that would be eyed anxiously by Ukraine and its other Western allies.
“President Putin wants to meet” and “we are setting it up,” Trump told a news briefing at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. “We have to get that war over with. That’s a bloody mess.”
Trump has previously suggested he would seek to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, now approaching the three-year mark, within 24 hours of assuming office.
Russia says it is open to to dialogue and diplomacy — although critics say that in reality its proposals amount to little more than a Ukrainian surrender.
“President Putin has repeatedly stated his openness to contacts with international leaders, including the U.S. president, including with Donald Trump,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday. “No conditions are required for this, what is required is a mutual desire and political will to conduct a dialogue.”
Peskov said Trump’s overtures were “welcome” but added there were “no specifics” on dates. “After Mr. Trump assumes office, there will be some developments.”
Ukraine knows that while many inside the country are alarmed at Trump’s stance, its relationship with the White House is nonetheless essential in its territorial future and sovereignty.
It said Friday it was “waiting for a meeting between our presidents because for us the main thing is to work together with America,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi told reporters in Kyiv. It said it was “preparing for contacts at the highest and high levels immediately after the inauguration.”
A military-themed mural decorates the wall of a residential building in the town of Petushki, Russia on Friday.Natalia Kolesnikova / AFP via Getty Images
While Ukraine would be unlikely to criticize Trump directly, its officials have chided other world leaders for engaging with Putin. “Conversations with the Russian dictator as such do not add any value to the pursuit of a just peace,” Tykhyi posted to X in November, referring to a call between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the the Russian leader.
Many in Europe worry Putin could then turn his ambitions to other former Soviet countries, particularly given Trump’s previous record of undermining the NATO alliance under which these Westernized states have been historically protected.
“We want peace, but peace through strength,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in a speech last month.
Kyiv is currently suffering battlefield setbacks as Russian troops steadily advance through the frozen fields of its eastern heartlands, with Moscow claiming to have captured the front-line town of Kurakhove this week.
Russian servicemen fire rockets towards Ukrainian positions near Lyman on Dec. 25.Stanislav Krasilnikov / Sputnik via AP
Trump has more recently relaxed his 24-hour ambitions, saying earlier this week that he hoped to have the conflict solved within “six months.” Keith Kellogg, his appointee for special envoy in the war, separately set the goal of “100 days.”
Still, this is a far remove the strategy of President Joe Biden, who has met Putin only once while in office, at a June 2021 summit in Geneva, otherwise describing him as “a killer” and a “dictator.”
Biden has overseen some $170 billion in aid for Ukraine, telling his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, this summer that “we will be with Ukraine until they prevail in this war.”
Zelenskyy says he is grateful for this support, but he and other officials have complained that some of the military aid has been too slow and too little. Trump has suggested it is too much.
Zelenskyy acknowledged Thursday that a “new chapter” was about to begin under Trump, and urged Western allies “not to drop the ball” on supporting Ukraine as a bulwark against Moscow.
A Tongatapu man who inappropriately touched a girl has been given a suspended sentence.
Siaosi Fatafehi, 41, was at the complainant’s home, where she was in the kitchen alone with her cousin.
Fatafehi walked up and stood next to her, stoked her left buttock, and then walked out of the kitchen, causing her to be scared at the time.
The court document said that his case was serious because he was 41 years old, and the complainant was 13.
“You have expressed remorse by apologising to the family and making payment to the family, which has been accepted”, the judgement said.
Sentencing, the Lord Chief Justice said: “I make it clear that no one in this Court can buy their way out of prison, but I accept that what you did was not with that in mind but to expiate what you had done:.
For one count of serious indecent assault, the Lord Chief Justice imposed a sentence of six months imprisonment fully suspended on the following conditions:
a. He must report to the Probation Office within 48 hours from today.
b. He must not commit any further offence punishable by imprisonment during your suspension period.
c. He must complete 40 hours of community service within 12 months.
d. He must complete a course on sexual awareness by the Salvation Army at the direction of the Probation Office.
The appeal following the sentencing related to the overpriced goods in Ha‘apai has been dismissed.
The Supreme Court dismissed an appeal by Song Ning Wang, who was sentenced to imprisonment for inflating the price of goods in his shop in Ha’apai.
Wang argued that his sentence was manifestly excessive, but it was rejected.
The court document showed that Wang appeared before the Magistrates Court, where he faced 25 summons under the Price and Wages Control Act. He pleaded guilty.
The allegation was that he charged in excess for items that are price-controlled and so had inflated the cost of those goods.
This was obviously done just for profit.
The Learned Magistrate sentenced Mr Wang to a fine of $2,000.00 and three months imprisonment, the last two months had been suspended for two years.
The defence appealed the sentence and submitted the followings:
That the sentence was manifestly excessive and he was a first-time offender.
That this was a “purely property offence” that merited a non-custodial term and that his guilty plea was not sufficiently taken into account.
If prison was appropriate, then the two weeks he has served is sufficient.
The Magistrate failed to take into account all the relevant factors or took into account irrelevant factors.
They contended that assumptions were made as to past dealings.
They argued that this sentence was inconsistent with the sentences generally imposed for such offences.
They said that in Police v Chen Hengquan CR 118/2023 a fine of $80.00 was imposed on that defendant.
The Crown opposed the appeal on all grounds that this was an offence where the extent of the deception on the public was hidden by the failure to keep records.
They said the items in question are ring-fenced with a maximum price, presumably as they represent basic household items.
The shop in question was in Ha’apai, a small community that does not have a wide range of shops, in fact quite the opposite, it has a very limited range.
Therefore, these offences resonate in a much more serious way.
It appears the Learned Magistrate believed that the public needed to be protected from this type of “price-gouging”, especially a small community dependent on a very limited array of retail establishments. He was perfectly within his rights to form such a view.
It stands to reason that Mr Wang had been doing this over a length of time; it plainly had not taken place that same day he was caught, the judgement said.
By the fact that so many goods were overpriced, it quite clearly was a concerted effort to commit fraud on the public.
It is axiomatic that it was just to profit Mr. Wang.
It might be thought by some this was a severe sentence, imposing a custodial term, the judge said.
“Therefore, it appears to me the Learned Magistrate was entitled to view this offending as requiring both punishment and denunciation. He plainly also had in mind all the mitigating factors too”, Justice Nicholas Cooper said.
“Accordingly, I reject the defence submissions”, he also said.
“The sentence of the Learned Magistrate is upheld.
Mr. Wang’s appeal is dismissed; he will also have to pay the costs”.
(CBS) Appearing in court virtually from his Mar-a-Lago home Friday, President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced for his crimes in the New York “hush money” case and released with no restrictions.
Justice Juan Merchan followed through on a promise made one week ago to give Trump a sentence of unconditional discharge, which includes neither jail time nor any other restriction that might impede Trump after his inauguration on Jan. 20.
Merchan said during sentencing Friday that he was granting that sentence because he believed it was the only legal option, just 10 days before Trump assumes the presidency.
He told the court that “this has been a truly extraordinary case,” even though once the courtroom doors closed, the trial itself had been no more special or unique or extraordinary than any other.
However, he told Trump, the same could not be said about the circumstances surrounding the president-elect’s sentencing “because of the office you once occupied and will soon occupy again.” He said that it was the legal protections afforded to the office of the president that were extraordinary, “not the occupant of the office.”
Those legal protections afforded by the office of the chief executive, were a factor that overrode all others, Merchan said, but they were not a mitigating factor. He said they did not reduce the seriousness of the crimes, and even those considerable protections did not have the power to erase a jury verdict.
Merchan said he determined that the only lawful sentence he could give, without encroaching on the highest post in the land, was an unconditional discharge.
Donald Trump, the civilian, he said, might not have gotten so lenient a sentence.
President-elect Donald Trump, right, and Todd Blanche, attorney for Donald Trump, appear virtually at Manhattan criminal court in New York, US, on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg via Getty Images
In the courtroom, Trump and attorney Todd Blanche — who has also been tapped by the president-elect to serve as deputy attorney general — could be seen on a screen at the defense and prosecutors’ table sitting next to each other, with two American flags visible behind them, in a room with dark wooden walls.
Trump was given the opportunity to address the court. He called the trial “a very terrible experience” and “a tremendous setback for New York.”
“With all the horrible things that are going on, I got indicted for calling a legal expense a legal expense,” Trump said, referring to the falsified reimbursements to a former lawyer, for a “hush money” payment at the core of the case.
“It’s been a political witch hunt,” Trump said on camera. “It was done to damage my reputation so that I’d lose the election, and obviously, that didn’t work.”
“The fact is i’m totally innocent,” Trump said. “I did nothing wrong.”
Ahead of sentencing, prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said Trump’s actions in attacking the judicial system and prosecutors in this case “constitutes a direct attack on the rule of law itself.”
“Far from expressing any kind of remorse for his criminal conduct, the defendant has purposefully bred disdain for our judicial institutions and the rule of law, and he’s done this to serve his own ends, and to encourage others to reject the jury verdict that he finds so distasteful,” Steinglass said.
“Put simply, this defendant has caused enduring damage to public perception of the criminal justice system, and has placed officers of the court in harm’s way,” Steinglass said.
Blanche said that he strongly disagreed with Steinglass’ assessment of the case and Trump’s conduct. He told the court that it was not just Trump and experts cited by Trump who felt the case should not have been brought, but the majority of the American people, referring to those who voted for the Republican in November.
At every turn, Trump and his lawyers have fought Manhattan prosecutors since the beginning of the “hush money” investigation in 2018. They challenged prosecutors’ subpoenas and rulings by Merchan, battling all the way to the Supreme Court multiple times, including an effort this week to stave off Friday’s hearing.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court said it would not intervene on Trump’s behalf, clearing the way for Merchan to issue his decision. Trump soon after the high court’s decision said he had read it and “thought it was a fair decision, actually,” noting the Supreme Court justices pointed out he could appeal and that there would be “really…no penalty.”
“But we’re going to appeal anyway,” he added in his remarks Thursday night. “So, I’ll do my little thing tomorrow. They can have fun with their political opponent,” Trump said.
Although there are no cameras in the courtroom, an audio recording of the proceedings will be released after the hearing concludes.
While Trump’s trial and arraignment brought crowds and overnight lines, on Friday morning, the general public line was sparse and no onlookers in the park across the street were visible before dawn.
Trump was found guilty in May after a seven-week trial. A unanimous jury concluded he committed 34 felonies in authorizing a scheme in 2017 to falsify records, in order to cover up reimbursements for a “hush money” payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
Daniels testified during the trial, as did Trump’s former lawyer and “fixer” Michael Cohen, who received the falsified reimbursements for his wire to Daniels just before the 2016 presidential election. Cohen gave Daniels the $130,000 payment in exchange for her silence about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump years earlier.
Multiple witnesses testified that Trump was pleased voters did not learn of Daniels’ story before the 2016 election.
Merchan held Trump in contempt 10 times during the trial for violations of a gag order barring him from making public comments about witnesses, court staff and others. In issuing the 10th contempt citation, Merchan — who frequently acknowledged the unique circumstances of the trial and its famed, powerful defendant — foreshadowed Friday’s likely sentence.
“The last thing I want to do is to put you in jail,” Merchan said.
COMMENTARY: The recent concerns raised by a Supreme Court Judge during a court case sentencing have brought to light whether the police in Tonga are being proactive enough in combating illicit drugs.
Justice Nicholas Cooper
They also beg the question of whether law enforcement is fully utilizing all available opportunities they have seized to effectively address the growing issue of drug-related activities in the country.
Justice Nicholas Cooper had been concerned about the police’s failure to disclose what appeared to be names of drug ringleaders listed in “note books” confiscated by the Police.
He described Laimani’s case as very serious, and “it was large scale commercial supply”. He said, “the presence of a firearm in the context of this drug dealing I consider a serious aggravating feature”.
“No one possesses these amounts of illicit drugs without connections to people higher up the supply chain. It stands to reason that Mr. Laimani was dealing with others more heavily involved in illicit drug supply and so in turn, he forms part of serious organised criminal network”, Mr Cooper said.
The Judge believed that Laimani’s case presented a significant opportunity for the court to gain insight into the individuals acting as ringleaders behind him had the Police worked on the details of the “dealer lists” and submitted them as evidence during the hearing.
He also said the Police should have done more than just charging Laimani for possession of the 155.90 grams of methamphetamine, a 12-gauge shotgun, a set of scales and 1699 empty dealer packs.
Mr Cooper said the notebooks, according to information provided to him, appeared to be lists of people at the level of drug kingpins.
The Judge believed that Mr Laimani’s on-site admissions to Police about selling methamphetamine for profit indicated that the documents likely pertained to individuals who manage larger quantities of illicit drugs.
“None of these notebooks have been provided or any detail of the contents placed before me save they “contained a list of names and numbers””, Mr Cooper said, according to the court judgement.
He said that the police should have also charged Laimani with additional counts related to drug activities after the discovery of the note books.
The judge said: “If a person is caught by police in possession of “dealer lists”, that is prima facie strong evidence they have possessed the drugs referred to and ought to be charged and ultimately sentenced for that criminality. To fail in this is to fail in the war against drugs”.
He was also concerned about the police’s lack of assessment regarding Laimani’s risk of reoffending and the potential harm he could pose to society.
However, he said that in both cases it must be at least medium harm as this was a calculated and planned criminal enterprise he was running.
It is crucial for the police to take Mr Cooper’s comment seriously and provide clarification.
This incident is not the first time that concerns have been raised regarding the authorities in Tonga responsible for combating drugs.
The public deserves transparency and accountability in matters like these. It would be beneficial if the police could clarify why they did not follow through with the actions Mr Cooper believed were necessary in this situation.
King’s concerns
In 2021, the king criticized the government, saying he was fed up with the House and the government giving him the same responses every year without further resolving these issues.
He was deeply troubled by the daunting challenges posed by the direct consequence of the rise in illicit drug use.
Last year, he also expressed his grave concern at the level of the illicit drug crisis that has infiltrated every part of society, from villages to schools and the government.
Recent court cases reported by Kaniva News and various other media outlets have revealed a troubling trend in Tonga: the involvement of some families in the illicit drug trade.
These cases indicate that parents and their children are participating in this illegal business, raising concerns about the impact on family dynamics and the broader community.
Corruption
We have also reported cases in which authorities had been convicted and sentenced for drug-related activities.
Last year, a Recruit Prison Officer of His Majesty’s Prison, Hu’atolitoli, was arrested, suspended and was under a criminal investigation for alleged possession of illicit drugs.
In early 2024, a senior bank official working at the National Reserve Bank of Tonga (NRBT) and his sister were charged after being caught with 15 kilograms of methamphetamine.
In 2019, “a senior customs officer was arrested for his involvement in importing a shipment of 6 kg of methamphetamine into Tonga along with quantities of cannabis, cannabis oil, arms and ammunition from the United States”.
It is essential that every individual in Tonga, particularly those in positions of authority, recognizes their responsibility in the ongoing battle against drug-related crimes. They should actively seek out and seize every opportunity to implement effective strategies and initiatives aimed at mitigating the negative impacts of such criminal activities on society.
Tropical Cyclone Pita, with sustained winds that are momentarily gusting, was located near Vava’u.
However, Cyclone Pita is expected to leave Tonga this afternoon, according to Tonga MetService.
It is slowly moving away from Niufo’ou and Niuatoputapu on its current track, heading northeast towards the Vava’u and Ha’apai islands.
A gale warning and heavy damaging swell remain in force for the Niuas, Vava’u and Ha’apai coastal waters.
A strong wind warning remains in force for Tongatapu, ‘Eua, Tele-ki-Tonga and tele-ki-Tokelau coastal waters.
A small craft advisory remains in force for all of Tonga coastal waters.
Tonga MetService said Tropical Cyclone “Pita” (Category 1) was located east-northeast of Neiafu (Vava’u), south-southeast of Hihifo (Niuatoputapu), northeast of Pangai (Ha’apai), northeast of Ha’afeva (Ha’apai), southeast of ‘Esia (Niuafo’ou) at 10pm tonight.
It has a sustained wind of 30-35 knots (60 – 70km/hr) near the centre with a momentary gust of up to 40-45 (80-90 km/hr) knots.
Tropical Cyclone Pita is currently moving east-southeast at a speed of 20 knots (40 km/hr).
It has associated clouds, heavy rain, and strong to gale-force winds with thunderstorms that will affect the Niuas, Vava’u and Ha’apai Groups.
For the Niuas: West to northwest winds 25-35 knots (50-70km/hr), gusting up to gale force winds of 35- 45 knots ( 70-90km/hr) at times.
Overcast with occasional rain, heavy at times with isolated thunderstorms. Becoming fine later this afternoon.
Flooding in low-lying areas due to heavy rain is expected.
For Vava’u and Ha’apai: East to southeast winds 15-20 knots (30-40km/hr), then rising up to 25 knots with a momentary gust up to gale force winds of 35-45knots (70-90km/hr) at times.
Overcast with occasional rain, heavy at times with isolated thunderstorms. Becoming fine later this afternoon. Flooding in low lying areas due to heavy rain is expected.
For Tongatapu and ‘Eua: East to southeast winds 10-15knots (20-30km/hr), rising up to 20knots (40km/hr) at times.
As devastating wildfires continue to crop Los Angeles, an individual has been arrested in connection with the Kenneth Fire in West Hollywood Hills, which is under investigation for arson
One person has been arrested on suspicion of deliberately starting fires amid the ongoing wildfire crisis (
The Los Angeles Police Department were called at around 4:30 pm on Thursday after receiving calls about a man allegedly attempting to ignite a blaze in Woodland Hills’ 21700 block of Ybarra Road, as reported by KTLA.
Quick-thinking locals helped the police to capture the individual. While the identity of the individual hasn’t been disclosed their potential link to other fires in Los Angeles has yet to be clarified, the LAPD has stated that the Kenneth Fire is under investigation as deliberate arson.
An LA Fire Department official had initially dismissed the claims that the fires had been started intentionally when the suspicion was raised by several high profile stars including Happy Days actor Henry Winkler, singer Chris Brown and TV star Elizabeth Chambers. They said: “There’s no way to know at this moment exactly where and how the series of fires started, but an investigation is underway.”
However, that now appears to have changed, following the arrest of one suspect in connection with the situation.
In this aerial view taken from a helicopter, an air tanker prepares to drop fire retardant on the Kenneth fire in the Calabasas area of Los Angeles county,
Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman told NewsNation: “Justice will be swift. It will be firm, and the maximum punishment will be sought.” LAPD senior lead officer Charles Dinsel also commented on the arrest, adding that the suspect in now in custody on suspicion of intentionally causing the blaze.. He said. ‘It is being investigated as a crime.”
When asked if he believed the fire had been started intentionally, he responded: “At this time, that’s what we believe. Yes.”
The suspect was arrested and taken to Topanga station, as three intense fires continue to burn out of control in the wider Los Angeles area.
The rapidly moving Kenneth blaze has already stretched to 960 acres since first igniting, and now threatens the Malibu Canyon area north of the 101 Freeway near Calabasas. This luxe neighbourhood is the home of some of LA’s most iconic names, including Kourtney Kardashian and Will Smith.Kim and Khloe Kardashian meanwhile live in nearby Hidden Hills.
Traffic backs up as residents evacuate ahead of the Kenneth Fire on January 09, 2025
The Kenneth Fire started at approximately 2pm Thursday in the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space, swiftly engulfing more than 600 acres by 6pm, data from CALFire showed. Initially, the fire stood at 50 acres by 3:45pm, but had rapidly grown to 791 acres by 4.45pm, before hitting 960 acres by 6pm.
In light of the spreading fire, mandatory evacuation orders were issued by the state as firefighters fought to tackle the fire with water bombs dropped from the skies, however the Santa Ana winds have continued to make bringing the fire under control extremely challenging.
As people fled their homes as instructed, the road out of Calabasas quickly became gridlocked on Thursday evening, with bumper to bumper traffic causing delays and concern among those fleeing their homes.
In anticipation of more fires and worsening conditions, residents across southern California have been warned to gather important documents and possessions in anticipation of further evacuations which could happen at very short notice.
As of Thursday evening the death toll had already risen to 7, with more than 10,000 structures now reportedly decimated in the flames.
Two men had been jailed for their crimes at Nuku’alofa Central Business District and received five and three years jail terms, respectively.
Taulanga Siupeli Nonu pleaded guilty to serious housebreaking, theft and serious arson.
The Lord Chief Justice Malcolm Bishop sentenced Nonu to seven and a half years for serious housebreaking, theft and serious arson in jail. He suspended the last two years on conditions.
His co-accused, Molitoni Moimoi, pleaded guilty to serious housebreaking and theft.
He had been sentenced to three years and two months. The Police had dropped the arson charge against him.
The two months had been added following the activation of his suspension penalty imposed in an earlier case.
The duo had been charged after committing the crimes at the Teta Tours building.
The Lord Chief Justice said these were serious offences and that Nonu destroyed property worth no less than TOP$ 1 million.
He said Moimoi had a very bad record of offending since 2020.
The judge said that in both cases, the offences were premeditated, and although both pleaded guilty, they only did so on the day of the trial and, indeed, after a jury had been sworn in and the trial was about to commence.
He said in Moimoi’s case, these offences were committed whilst he was subject to a fully suspended sentence and additionally committed while on bail.
“There is very little it can be said in mitigation in the case of either of you and the time has now come for the full force of the law to take its course”, Mr Bishop said.
