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Police appeal for help to find missing Kiwi in Tonga

By
Kaniva Staff
-

Tongan police were appealing for help to find a missing New Zealand visitor from Auckland, Mr. Gregory Paul Reynolds, 47.

Reynolds was last seen on Friday April 8, 2016 between 11:00am- 1:00pm on the road between Liku’alofa Resort and Ha’atafu Village.

He was wearing black shorts and carrying a white t-shirt.

Reynolds was due to return to New Zealand on Friday April 8 however Police were notified by the  Liku’alofa Resort staff when he failed to meet his pick up ride to the airport.

Reynolds luggage was left in his room.

Missing
Mr. Gregory Paul Reynolds. Photo/Supplied

Reynolds arrived in Tonga on  April 1, 2016 and was believed to be travelling alone when he went missing.

Tonga Police commenced looking for Reynolds on Friday 8 and carried out land and sea searches over the weekend. The search will continue today.

“Tonga Police, working with the help of the Community are doing our best to find Mr. Reynolds and reunite him with his family,” says Police Commissioner Steve Caldwell.

Reynolds next of kin in New Zealand has been advised.

New Zealand Police have also been notified and are assisting Tonga Police with their inquiries.

Tonga Police is appealing for any help or any sighting of Reynolds to please contact 922 or the nearest Police Station to you.

Disgraced Pulelaʻā pastor dies

By
Kaniva Staff
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A former pastor in the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga, disqualified last month following a series of disastrous financial decisions led to the collapse of the Pulela’a church in 2012, has died.

Sione Mataele Pinomi died last week on Thursday 7 in his 50s.

The cause of his death was still unknown but we were reliably told he was in hospital more than two weeks before he died.

It is understood his wake will be on this Friday before he will be laid to rest on Saturday.

Meanwhile tributes have been posted to Facebook with many were shocked to hear about his death.

“Condolences to the Pinomi family? during this difficult time.. We pray that you all be comforted in the saviours love and each others company. Be strong”, a Facebook user commented on Facebook.

Those who paid tribute to Pinomi also left messages of condolence on his family’s Facebook pages.

“My deepest condolences to you and your family at this very hard time. It’s the time God has chosen one of his angels to be with him at this very moment. we will surely miss your dad. A very humble man and will never be forgotten.Sione PN May Our Heavenly Father continue blessing your family especially in this hard moment. Love to you and your family. xxo”.

Rev Pinomi was the treasurer at Pulelaʻā church when there was promises of miraculous financial salvation and fake investors  were presented to church members and claimed they were millionaires who would pay for their loans. But an inquiry led by the church’s Secretary General Dr Tevita Havea found these claims had proved to be  “untrue”, “thoughtless” and “make believe”.

The church owed more than AU$20 million to Westpac bank because of a loan it made to build its property at Glendenning in Sydney.

The bank eventually sold the church to an Indian mission for an undisclosed sum.

The church also  lost five other properties in Australia which were used as securities for the Pulela’a loans.

 

READ MORE:

Promises over Pulelaʻā church ‘make-believe,’ FWC conference tells members

Australian FWC church fear the worst as Pulelaʻā leaders refuse to step down

Aus$140,000 worth of fundraising cheques written out to Tokaikolo Church bounced

Failed promise: Top church leader probed into Pulela‘ā’s scandal

Time to audit Pulela’ā church’s accounts, says Wesleyan General Secretary

Born in poverty, but connected to royalty, his family say he was born to reform the nation

By
Kalino Latu
-

The man who led the fight to bring democracy to Tonga has turned 75.

Born on April 7, 1941, Samuela ʻAkilisi  Pōhiva  has dedicated much of his life to politics and his endeavor to allow the people to have their say and run the government.

A look at his family and political life shows a fearless man with great courage, bravery and determination.

In his political campaigns Pōhiva has maintained that the king and the royals would be more loved and respected if they gave up their powers as rulers and became only honorary figures.

He said the fact that no human being was perfect meant the king made mistakes while running the country on day to day businesses.

He said that if the king made bad decisions about the use of the money people pay in taxes, the taxpayers would vent their anguish against him, something that could decrease the taboo and veneration for the royals that is built into Tongan culture.

He has repeatedly rejected claims by his critics that he wants to change the role of the monarchy  because he wants to become king.

His family and relatives believe the combination of Pōhiva’s hard life as a child and teenager and his close blood connection to the royals were the combination needed to free the people from the rule of the aristocrats.

Hard life

When Pōhivaʻs cousins and relatives recounted how he grew up in Fakakai, Ha’apai, it was apparent the political veteran experienced a really hard life.

Pōhiva was adopted by his grandfather. His duties as a child included waking up early in the morning and going fishing with him.

At the time boats had to be rowed because engines were not available in the islands.

When his grandfather had to dive into the sea, Pōhiva has to hold the boat steady with a long oar by holding it against the undersea rocks. It was a task described by his cousin Vakaloa as difficult, challenging and risky for a young child to do almost every day.

During a conversation in Auckland, Pōhiva’s son Po’oi agreed that his family had maintained from time to time that his father was born to reform the nation given the way he was brought up.

Po’oi said Pōhiva was a very poor child.

When he entered Tupou College from primary school he had only one school uniform to wear and had only a few changes of clothes.

He had to borrow clothes from other students and sometime took clothes from students who did not pick up their washing from the clothes line after leaving them there for some time.

At the weekend students left the boarding school and went home while Pōhiva headed  to the nearby village of Malapo to pick up talingelinga, a type of fungus some local businesses bought from locals. This helped pay his school fees and materials.

Royal connection

Pōhiva has close blood relationship with the royals. His grandfather was Fīnau  Filimoeʻulie, a half brother of George Tupou I, the king who is regarded as the founder of modern Tonga.

Filimoeʻulie and Tupou I’s mother was Hoamofaleono. Filimo’ulie’s father was Nuku Moimoiangaha, from whom the current Lord Nuku is descended.

Filimoeʻulie grew up in Pōhiva’s village of Fakakakai, but later returned to Vainī in Tongatapu, his motherʻs village, to be appointed as Lord Maʻafu.

This means Pōhiva has a close blood relationship not only with the king but with two other current nobles, Lord Ma’afu of Vaini and Lord Nuku of Kolonga.

Queen Nanasipauʻuʻs mother, Lady Tuputupu Vaea, is Pōhiva’s second cousin. They are both grandchildren of Filimoeʻulie. Therefore Pōhiva is a cousin of Lord Vaea, Queen Nanasipauʻu’s brother.

At one stage during a heated debate in Parliament between Pōhiva and the Late Minister of Police, Hon. ʻAkauʻola, the minister was furious at how Pōhiva talked about the need to change the ruling system into a democracy.

After a few exchanges ʻAkauʻola furiously asked Pōhiva: “Ko hai e tuʻa ko koe ke haʻu ʻo liliu e fonuá ni?” – “Who the commoner are you to come and change this nation?”

Pōhiva responded through his Keleʻa newspaper by printing his lineage and showing how he was connected to George Tupou I. He told ʻAkauʻola he was much closer in blood to the king than him and most of the nobles.

Royals and Political career

Pōhiva’s fight to bring democracy to Tonga but make sure the position of the royals is preserved differs from the role of most of the world’s monarchies. Many royal families in Europe have been wiped out.

Pōhiva has maintained since the beginning of his political career that the change he wants would ensure the king and the royals were safeguarded by removing them from running the government.

In his maiden speech broadcast to the nation after he became Prime Minister in December 2014 Pōhiva said: “We must prove to the king that we can run the nation”.

Pōhiva’s political career can be traced back into 1976 when he attended the University of the South Pacific in Fiji.

Pōhiva and six other Tongan students, Finau Tutone, Lopeti Senituli, ‘Uhila Liava’a, Sione Ma’ilei and Tevita Kolokihakaufisi were interested in Tongan politics and wanted to pursue a proposal by former Minister of Education Dr Langikavaliku to the King’s Privy Council asking His Majesty to set up a commission to review the constitution so the government could be made more democratic.

In 1980 he started his political campaign by sharing his ideas for a change to democracy in kava ceremonies.

In 1981 he started his Matalafo Laukai radio programme with two prominent church leaders, Dr Sione ʻAmanaki Havea and Late Bishop Patelesio Finau.

The government took the programme off air in 1983.

In1985 he was dismissed from the public service as a teacher.

In 1986 he established Keleʻa newspaper.

In 1987 he was elected to parliament and kept his seat until  he was elected Prime Minister.

In 2013 he was awarded The Defender of Democracy Award.

He was imprisoned several times during his fight to change the kingdom’s political system.

The main points

  • The man who led the fight to bring democracy to Tonga has turned 75.
  • Born on April 7, 1941, Samuela ʻAkilisi Pōhiva  has dedicated much of his life to politics and his endeavor to allow the people to have their say and run the government.
  • A look at his family and political life shows a fearless man with great courage, bravery and determination.
  • He became Tonga’s first commoner Prime Minister in December, 2014.

Warning over eating hotdogs

By
Kaniva Staff
-

A Tongan authority  is warning consumers to take care when buying and eating hotdog, which is considered a high-risk food.

It said the hotdogs that were packed in plastic container in which the name Golden Maple is written on and were sold at retail shops were not fit for human consumption.

The warning comes after some concerned consumers in Nukuʻalofa complaint that they found what appeared to be worms in the hotdogs when they cut them into pieces.

It was unclear whether or not the hotdogs were produced and packed in Tonga or they were imported into the country.

The Chair of the Tonga National Food Council, Mele ʻAmanaki has warned that the hotdogs were not fit for consumption.

“In my capacity as Chair of the Tonga National Food Council. I’m giving out this warning to all consumers in Tonga to please [do not eat] the hotdogs brand as shown in the photos below”, ʻAmanaki said.

The warning was issued with a notice of meetings with Chinese Ambassador at 2pm Monday as well as with the Chinese Business Association at 3.00pm.

The Consumer Affairs & Food Divisions of MCL & MAFFF are investigating the issue.

Hot dg

Tongan gang member admits to two killings

By
Kaniva Staff
-

A Tongan suspected gang member has confessed to manslaughter in relation to two unresolved homicides dating back nearly nine years.

According to Salt Lake City’s Deseret News “Nitokalisi Niki Fonua, 33, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter, a second-degree felony, in the shooting death of 22-year-old Krystal Flores in July 2009”.

Fonua was originally charged in 2011 with murder, a first-degree felony, and aggravated burglary for Flores’ death.

At the same hearing Friday, charges were filed and Fonua pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a second-degree felony, in the 2007 killing of Viliami Latu, 34. Fonua told police he went to Latu’s Salt Lake home to settle a debt, an argument ensued and he shot the man.

Deputy Salt Lake County district attorney Vince Meister said that without a plea agreement, the charge would have been murder.

Each charge carries a potential prison sentence of two to 20 years in prison due to weapons enhancements. Sentencing in both cases has been set for April 18, where prosecutors will recommend the two terms be served consecutively, meaning Fonua could spend up to 40 years behind bars. They will recommend that credit be given for the five years Fonua has served so far.

Meister declined comment as he left the courtroom in light of ongoing cases against additional defendants still facing charges in Flores’ death.

Alexander Bloomfield, 35, and Pailate Lomu, 26, are charged with murder and aggravated burglary, first-degree felonies, in the death and have separate jury trials scheduled later this year.

Bloomfield is also charged with possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, a second-degree felony. Court records indicate he rejected a plea offer from prosecutors last month.

George Angilau, 25, is facing first-degree felony charges of murder, aggravated burglary and discharge of a firearm, as well as third-degree felonies of discharging a firearm and discharging a firearm from a vehicle. No upcoming hearings are scheduled in that case.

In a 2011 preliminary hearing for Bloomfield and Lomu, an ex-girlfriend of Bloomfield testified that tensions had been high between the gang her boyfriend at the time belonged to — the West Valley City-based Baby Regulators — and a rival predominantly Tongan gang based out of Glendale, the Tongan Crips. A “brawl” had broken out between the two earlier that summer, and Lomu, who is also believed to be a Baby Regulator, had his house targeted in a drive-by shooting soon after.

A number of people — including Fonua, Bloomfield, Lomu and Angilau — were drinking heavily at a party in West Valley City on July 19, 2009, and becoming increasingly more angry about the rivalry, the woman said. The four men headed out looking to retaliate at another party they had heard about in Salt Lake City.

According to charging documents, an armed Fonua headed into the home at 1309 S. Stewart St., but realized it was the wrong house.

Others in the home took cover in another room when two men burst in through the front door and gunfire rang out. They didn’t witness the shooting but emerged to find Flores on the couch where she had been resting, wounded with a gunshot to the head. She died Aug. 2, 2009.

– Deseret News

Mateni Tapueluelu legally elected as member for Tongatapu 4, Court of Appeal declares

By
Philip Cass
-

Māteni Tapueluelu was legally elected, Tonga’s Court of Appeal said today.

In a 19 page ruling dated April 8, Judges Moore, Handley, Blanchard and Tupou found his election was lawful and did not breach Clause 65 of the Constitution.

Clause 65 says that “no person may be chosen against whom an order has been made in any court in the Kingdom for the payment of a specific sum of money the whole or any part of which remains  outstanding.”

However, the judges said Tapueluelu was not in breach of Clause 65 because the Court of Appeal had stayed a Magistrate’s judgement against him pending an appeal in 2012.

That stay was in force at the time of his nomination and election in 2014.

Tapueluelu had lodged an appeal with the Court of Appeal to overturn a declaration by Lord Chief Justice Paulsen that his election on November 27, 2014 as the People’s Representative of the Tongatapu 4  constituency was unlawful and invalid.

Lord Chief Justice Paulsen’s judgement was based on the fact that at the date of Tapueluelu’s nomination and election, there was a judgment against him from the Magistrate’s Court.

On June 17, 2011 Tapueluelu was held liable to pay veteran Tongan politician Clive Edwards $TP10,000 in damages and $TP4500 in costs in a civil action for defamation.

Tapueluelu lodged an appeal against the Magistrate’s decision, but his appeal had been struck out by the Supreme Court on the grounds of what the Appeals Court called “inordinate and inexcusable delay in the prosecution of the appeal.”

An application for leave to set aside the Supreme Court’s decision and for a stay of execution of the Magistrate’s Court’s judgment had been dismissed by the Supreme Court, but on August 30, 2012 a Judge of the Appeals Court gave him leave to appeal and ordered the Magistrate’s Court’s judgment to be stayed, pending the outcome of that appeal.

An attempt to overturn the Magistrate’s    Court’s original judgment against him was dismissed by the Appeals Court in June 2015.

In its statement, the Appeals Court said that stay was in force when Tapueluelu was nominated, registered as a candidate, elected and took his oath of office as a People’s Representative.

The main legal points

The four judges said the main issues they had examined were:

  • Whether a Tongan Court’s order for payment of a specific sum of money remains “outstanding” if execution of the order has been stayed by that court or a higher court;
  • Whether it is possible to challenge the validity of the outcome of an election by a means other than a petition brought under, and within the time limit fixed by, the Electoral Act, in a case raising an issue under cl 65 of the constitution;
  • Whether such a challenge can be brought by the Attorney General; and
  • Whether the Supreme Court in the exercise of its discretion should, in any event, refuse to grant any relief.

On the first point, the judges declared:

“What is intended by clause 65, we believe, is that a person qualified as an elector should  not be able to become a  candidate at an election if at the time of nomination he or she is in default in complying with a court order for the payment of specific sum of money.”

“But such a judgement  does  no more than  create  a judgment debt. It is not framed as an order to  pay.  If the judgement  debtor does not pay, he is not in breach of the judgment or order so as to be in contempt.

“Once a stay has been granted the judgment debtor is not in default (even if the judgment was in the form of an order to pay) because the judge granting the stay, which is likely to be granted only pending the determination of an appeal, has concluded that the debtor should not be compelled by court process to pay until it is decided.

“The judgment debt is not ‘outstanding’  in terms of Clause 65 once a stay has been ordered. The debtor cannot be seen to be in default in the sense that he is simply ignoring the judgment or refusing to give effect to it. He has gone back to the court and it has agreed to stay the operation  of the judgment  so far as court processes are concerned.”

On the second and third points, the judges said the Attorney General could not challenge the outcome of the election because it breached Sections 25 and 26 of the Constitution, which limited the people, time and means of appeal against the outcome of an election.

On the final point the Court of Appeal awarded costs to Tapueluelu in the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.

The main points

  • Mateni Tapueluelu was legally elected, Tonga’s Court of Appeal said today.
  • In a 19 page ruling issued dated April 8, Judges Moore, Handley, Blanchard and Tupou found his election was lawful and did not breach Clause 65 of the Constitution.
  • The judges said Tapueluelu was not in breach of Clause 65 because the Court of Appeal had stayed a Magistrate’s judgement against him pending an appeal in 2012.
  • That stay was in force at the time of his nomination and election in 2014.

MP Tapueluelu’s future in balance as court investigates claims he breached electoral law

New change to waste policy benefits Nukuʻalofa residents

By
Kaniva Staff
-

A change to Tonga’s waste collection policy has benefitted both inside and outside residents of Nukuʻalofa.

The new change means every waste put out on collection day “will be collected”.

Previously, residents have to purchase stickers and stuck them on their waste bins to show the carbage truck drivers they have paid for their waste to be picked up.

This means the wastes from residences which did not pay and got stickers would not be collected.

The waste charges now are added to residents’ monthly power bills.

“From the 1st April, if you put waste out on your collection day it [will] be collected. Stickers will no longer be required, with the Utilities Board resolving to improve waste collection services for the benefit of our health and environment”, a statement from Waste Authority says.

“From the start of May, you will see that waste charges will now be included in your Tonga Power bill. This new arrangement is to make sure that every home, every institution, and every business pays the waste charges”.

Woman rescued after falling overboard from ʻOtu Angaʻofa

By
Alpha Latu
-

A woman has been rescued after falling overboard from a Friendly Islands Shipping Agency  passenger ferry bound for the northern outer islands of Tonga.

The woman fell from the ʻOtu Angaʻofa ferry on Tuesday morning while it was unloading shipments and passengers in Nomuka.

The island has no wharf and the ferry has to heave to in the open sea while cargoes and passengers are offloaded into a barge.

Report from Nomuka said the sea was really rough and it was dark when the woman fell but she was immediately rescued and uninjured.

FISA company could not make a comment saying it’s awaiting a report from the captain of the ship.

The woman’s identity was unknown.

Cyclone relief goods from Kiwis arriving in Vava’u

By
Kaniva Staff
-

Cyclone-relief donations from Tongans in New Zealand and other ordinary Kiwis will be arriving in Vava’u from the 11th of April.

Three container loads of goods, collected by the Vava’u Relief Committee have left New Zealand on the Olo Mana. The containers are carrying family-to-family donations as well as many items of non-perishable food donated by Churches and individuals in New Zealand for the Vava’u community at large.

“I am travelling to Tonga to receive the containers and to ensure that all donations get to the right people and the right village after they are unpacked,” says Vava’u Relief Committee Chair, Jenny Salesa.

“I am really grateful to all of the media who have supported our calls for community donations and to the many people who then contributed food items, in particular the many Tongan Church congregations who answered the call as well as the Robertson Road Niuean Church in Māngere.

“My committee is also delighted to be able to offer Vava’u families in New Zealand the chance to support their families back home.

“Thanks to all of these wonderful people, three container loads of non-perishable goods have left New Zealand destined for Vava’u.

“My thanks also to Matson Shipping, which has donated and shipped the containers for free; to Ultimate Transport, which transported the containers within New Zealand for free; to the Lotofale’ia Tongan Methodist Church in Mangere, which hosted the containers while they were packed; and to the Tongan Government, which has waived port and customs duty fees,” Jenny Salesa said.

Tonga grateful, Zena hit but largely unscathed

By
Kaniva Staff
-

Cyclone Zena was over Tonga this afternoon but has left the kingdom mostly unscathed.

There were reports of minor damages during the morning hours in Nukuʻalofa including an accident on Vuna Road after a street lamp fell and hit a Tonga Water Board vehicle.

Fuʻamotu Met Services said at 2.45pm today Thursday 7 Tropical Cyclone Zena was downgrated to Category One when it hit Tonga at 1pm.

It said it was located about 95km west-southwest of Nuku’alofa or 110km west of ‘Eua at 1pm.

On its current track, the cyclone is expected to lie about 145km southeast of Nuku’alofa at about 7:00pm this evening.

Met said the storm warning previously in force for ‘Eua, Tongatapu and Ha’apai is now cancelled.

The gale warning previously in force for Vava’u is now cancelled.

The heavy rain warning previoulsy in force for Tongatapu,’Eua, Ga’apai and Vavauis now cancelled. the flash flood warning previously inforce for tongatapu,’Eua, Ha’apai and  Vava’u is now cancelled.

A strong wind warning is now in force for ‘Eua, Tongatapu, Ha’apai and Vava’u and is now cancelled for Niuatoputapu and Niuafo’ou.

A heavy damaging swells remains inforce for Tongatapu,’Eua, Ha’apai and Vava’u coastal waters.

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