Tonga’s inter-island ferry which was taken out of service due to a rudder problem has returned to service.
The MV ʻOtuangaʻofa developed problems in June and was sent to Fiji for maintenance last month.
It is servicing the outer islands mainly Tongatapu, Vavaʻu, Haʻapai and the Niuas.
Marine authority said the vessel returned to service at 6:00pm 11 October.
Success for Labour in Manukau Ward
Labour has recorded a thrilling victory in the Manukau Ward of Auckland Council, with 15 of 16 places across the Ward going to Labour candidates, says Jenny Salesa, MP for Manukau East.
“I congratulate all my Labour colleagues who have fought a hard campaign and won a great victory.
“Returning Councillor Alf Filipaina and former local board chair, Fa’anana Efeso Collins, secured the governing body seats by a huge margin.
“Labour candidates made a clean sweep of the Mangere-Otahuhu Local Board – Christine O’Brien, Carrol Elliott, Tauanu’u Nick Bakulich, Lemauga Lydia Sosene, Togiatolu Walter Togiamua, Makalita Kolo and Tafauna’I Tasi Lauese – and took six out of seven seats on the Otara–Papatoetoe Local Board: Ross Robertson, Mary Gush, Lotu Fuli, Apulu Reece Autagavaia, Dr Ashraf Choudhary and Dawn Trenberth.
“These are all people who listen well and understand their diverse communities, who will represent local concerns with integrity and make sure the voices of Otahuhu, Otara, Papatoetoe and Mangere are heard loudly in Auckland’s big conversations.
“We have doubled the Labour representation on the Counties Manukau District Health Board with the election of Apulu Reece Autagavaia and Dr Ashraf Choudhary.
“The teams’ diversity is notable, reflecting the rich variation across South Auckland, with eight Pacific members – Samoan, Tongan and Niuean; four Pakeha; one Maori/Pacific, one Maori and a Pakistani Muslim.
“It is a great pity that turnout was low, and there will be a number of reasons for that. Usually, ‘experts’ will say that low turn-out tells against Labour. To win such solid endorsements in the face of low turn-out shows all the more that Manukau Ward recognises the people with values they can trust and who will stand up for them.
“I look forward to working with closely with the Governing Body Councillors and the two Local Boards and the two district health boards that cover Manukau East, Jenny Salesa says.
Tonga and Germany commemorated the 140 years of their friendship on Sunday 9 October.
The Speaker of the German Bundestag (Parliament) Professor Dr. Norbert Lammert arrived in Tonga accompanied by seven parliamentarians to attend a function in Nuku’alofa as part of the commemoration.
While in Tonga the German Speaker attended a ceremony at Parliament signing a contract for the donation of photovoltaic solar project for Prince Ngu Hospital in Vavaʻu.
The Berlin Speaker was joint by MP Dr. Johann Wadephul who is also the Chairman of the Scrutiny of Elections Committee, Immunity and the Rules of Procedures.
Germany’s new Ambassador to Tonga, His Excellency Gerhard Thiedemann was one the Speaker’s delegations.
Professor Lammert who is a Catholic was expected to meet Tonga’s Roman Catholic Cardinal Soane Patita Paini Mafi this week.
The friendship
Germany’s relationship with Tonga was first signed in 1876.
In 1976 their treaty was renewed shortly after Tonga became independent and formed its own constitution.
Throughout the years Germany’s assistance to Tonga has been based on economic, cultural and educational support.
Germany and Tonga signed a Treaty of Friendship on board the SMS “Hertha” Warship from Germany at Nuku’alofa on November 1, 1876.
The former Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Late Hon. Viliami Tungi signed the friendship treaty on behalf of late King George Tupou 1 with Captain Ernst Wilhelm the Captain and German’s Consul to Tonga and Samoa, Theodor Agust Weber on behalf of the German Emperor.
Tupou 1 wanted to safeguard Tonga from being colonized by foreign powers and instigated the Treaty of Friendship with Germany.
In 1875 Tonga’s Constitution was not recognized however Berlin was the first to sign the treaty. This recognition of Tonga’s treaty led other foreign powers to withdraw interest from trying to colonize Tonga.
The function
The delegation attended the Sunday church service at the Centenary Church for the blessing of the 140th Years of the Friendship Treaty.
It followed by a Choral Programme at the Fa‘onelua Convention Centre.
Guests of Honour at the occasion were their Highnesses, Crown Prince Tupouto‘a ‘Ulukalala and Crown Princess Sinaitakala Tuku‘aho.
The German Speaker visited the Legislative Assembly on Monday 10 October where the signing of the amended contract for donation of photovoltaic solar project for Prince Ngu Hospital in Vava’u.
It was followed by a speech by the visiting Speaker before a luncheon hosted by Lord Speaker Tu‘ivakano in Parliament for the visitors.
The German parliamentary delegation left Tonga on Monday afternoon 10 October.
A 38-year-old mother from Lapaha faces with manslaughter by negligence charge after police said she ran over her two-year-old son.
The mother was reversing her four-wheel drive vehicle when the incident occurred on the night of October 6 after 8pm.
Police believed the child fell out of the vehicle while her mother was talking to her other children apparently unaware that her passenger had come off the vehicle.
But she stopped reversing after she heard a thump only to find out she had run over her son.
The child died on his way to hospital, according to Police.
The mother was expected to appear at the Mu’a Magistrate court.
With only two years to go before the South Pacific Games Tonga is still struggling to find land for the construction of a new golf facility.
The only site available is government land in Atele where the Tonga College is located, but the college alumni said they planned to build the collegeʻs boarding school there.
The Fiji government had accepted a request from Prime Minister ʻAkilisi Pohiva to host the golf tournament during the Games, but the Fijian Foreign Affairs Minister said this would reflect badly on Tonga because Tonga had told the Pacific Games committee it could provide all the facilities for the Games. After his statement, Tonga withdrew from the arrangement.
The king offered the use of some of his land in Kauvai, but Hon. Pohiva said the land was too remote.
He said the same problem applied to plans to build the golf facility in Niumate.
Hon. Pohiva said there was also a plan to build the facility using reclaimed land, but this would have required the removal of mangroves and the plan was dropped.
There was also a plan to use land at Fuʻamotu airport, but because three nobles shared the lands it was too expansive for the government to lease.
Hon. Pohiva told the House he felt it would not be right if the government removed the mangroves for the construction when land should be available.
He asked the House to postpone discussion of the matter and leave it to him and Cabinet to deal with.
He said the land at ʻAtele should be reserve for the plan by the college alumni.
Government must spend money on land
Lord Tuʻihaʻangana told the Prime Minister in the House there was no such thing as cheap land in Tonga. He said it sounds like the Prime Minister wanted to get land for free or cheap for the construction.
He said if the Prime Minister wanted to get the land from His Majesty without paying, it would be a long story.
He said the government must accumulate a huge amount of money before it made deals to get land for the golf facility.
The main points
For more information
Tonga still host the 2019 Pacific Games
Games costs could hit NZ$100 million mark and estimates do not include many items
A van hit a fence in ʻAtele in an incident that has added to this morning’s traffic headache for commuters heading into the capital Nukuʻalofa for work.
Reports said it was raining while the incident happened but no injuries had been reported.
No other vehicle involved in the accident.
Police have yet to release any reports.
Police said they were called to a property in Favona before a seriously injured male teenager was rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
An 18-year-old man from South Auckland will appear in the Manukau District Court today charged with common assault in relation to the death of a 19-year-old Tongan man in South Auckland early on Saturday, October 8.
Police can now confirm the deceased man is Samiuela Halaifonua of South Auckland.
Mr Halaifonua suffered a stab wound during a fight at an address in Favona and later died in Middlemore Hospital.
Detective Inspector Gary Lendrum says Counties Manukau Police are continuing its investigation into Halaifonua’s death and are not ruling out further arrests.
“We are continuing to speak with several people in relation to the incident and following positive lines of inquiry,” says Mr Lendrum.
“Our thoughts are also with Mr Halaifonua’s family at this difficult time.”
READ MORE:
Teen’s death after Mangere fight fuels concerns over youth violence in South Auckland
Seven Georgians who arrived in Tonga on forged Greek passports appeared at the Fasi magistrate’s court today.
They were charged with forgery after Police arrested them last Friday, October 7, for using Greek passports that were reported stolen or lost to Interpol.
And in a bizarre twist, it appears they may have decided to come to Tonga after seeing pictures of Tongan athlete Pita Taufatofua at the Rio Olympics.
Kaniva News has seen documents which show the Georgians’ travel tickets were issued in Slovakia.
During this morning’s hearing before Chief Magistrate Folau Lokotui, the court was told the Georgians came to Tonga with the intention of travelling to New Zealand on the fake Greek passports and stay there because Greek citizens could enter New Zealand without visas.
One of the Georgians, 10-year-old Armaz Khuluzauri (a.k.a. Nilolaos Markopoulos), was initially charged with using forged documents.
But his charge was later struck off after the Acting Attorney General, ‘Aminiasi Kefu, submitted the boy could not have acted alone.
Chief Magistrate Lokotui told the boy that his charge had been struck off and that he was free.
The accused were Koba Shinjikashvili (a.k.a Athanassios Panagiotopoulou), Nino Menabdishvili (a.k.a Anastasia Papadatos), Dato Dekanoidze (a.k.a Stefanos Markopoulos), Zaza Tsikarishvil (a.k.a Evangeles Dragandis), Maia Garibashivili (a.k.a Aikaterini Markopoulous and Genadi Gachechiladze (a.k.a Stefanos Papadatos).
The accused were visibly in dire straits when they arrived in court. They had no legal representation, could not speak English and told the court they had no money to buy food and to rent an accommodation.
The accused were provided with a translation device during the hearing, but still appeared to have trouble understanding what was said.
The relationship of the accused to each was not revealed during their short appearance at the lower court.
As we reported when police searched the group’s accommodation they found another seven Georgian passports which are thought to contain their real identities.
House arrest
Kefu said all of the accused would remain under house arrest until they returned to court on October 24.
“They have no finances at this point,” he said.
They will be fed by the police in the meantime.
The Chief Magistrate set their case aside so they could be provided with a translator.
“This is a very serious offence to use fake passports alleged to have been Greek passports but you are Georgian citizens,” Chief Magistrate Lokotui said.
The accused were also told they had a right to legal representation.
Olympic connection
In a bizarre twist to the case, Tupou’ahau Fungavaka, the manager of the Green Lodge in Tofoa, where the accused have been staying since they arrived in Tonga on September 22, told Kaniva News the Georgians wanted to come to Tonga after they heard about the kingdom from Olympian Pita Taufatofua.
Taufatofua, 32, became a media sensation after his glistening torso stole the limelight at the Olympic Opening Ceremony in Rio. Global media reports said the inquiries about Tonga through cheapflights.com.au soared 68 per cent compared with the week before the Rio Games.
Fungavaka told Kaniva News last week that she had initially offered to feed and house the travellers on the understanding they would pay her back, but that she ran out of money and wondered who would pay their bill.
Kaniva News has seen documents showing that TP$1433.64 (US$700) was sent to Tonga through Western Union money transfer from a person in Tbilisi, Georgia, called Nona Mokheve,
We were reliably told the money was sent to one of the accused and used to pay their debts to Green Lodge.
The main points
For more information
Investigation after Greek passports seized in Tonga following complaint by Immigration NZ
Prime Minister ʻAkilisi Pōhiva says his government has rejected the Privy Council’s candidate for the position of Tonga’s first Commissioner of the Anti-Corruption commission.
Hon. Pōhiva said he had received unofficial information the Privy Council’s panel of judges had decided to appoint Tongan-New Zealand based barrister Kahungungu Afeaki to the post.
The Prime Minister told Kaniva News the proposed salary for the Commissioner was too high and his government did not want to work with Afeaki.
The Anti-Corruption Act 2007 stipulates His Majesty in Privy Council shall appoint an Anti-Corruption Commissioner. It says it was the duty of the Privy Council’s Judicial Appointments and Discipline Panel to recommend and advice the king in matters that deal with appointment of judicial officers.
Kaniva understands the members of the Judicial Appointments and Discipline Panel are Lord Chancellor Harry Waalkens Esquire QC , the Lord Chief Justice Owen Paulsen, the acting Attorney General Aminiasi Kefu and two Law Lords apparently Lord Dalgety and Lord Tevita Tupou.
The commissioner’s salary is dealt with by the Panel with the consent of Cabinet.
Hon. Pōhiva said the search for the Anti-Corruption commissioner was now deadlocked.
Tonga’s Anti-Corruption Commission was formed in 2008 after the Anti-Corruption Act was passed on 13 September 2007.
But after a new office was opened for the commission in mid-2008 the dream of a commission to fight against corruption in the kingdom slipped into oblivion.
Last year Justice Minister Vuna Fāʻotusia announced that a panel of judges had interviewed and recommended a suitable candidate to the post.
Hon. Fāʻotusia said the Australian Government had contributed TP$300,000 in 2008 to help fund the Commissioner’s salary.
However, the Parliament was told recently the Australian government had withdrawn its funding after it discovered the initial attempt to set up the commission had been unsuccessful.
Hon. Fāʻotusia said in 2008 a panel of judges from Australia recommended appointing the then Chief Justice Shuster for the post but the two previous government administrations did not appoint him.
The appointment of a Commissioner raises two issues for the Tongan authorities to consider.
The Minister said former Chief Justice Ford had supported the idea a Tongan should be appointed to the post.
Hon Fāʻotusia also revealed some of the former judges in Tonga agreed to the idea the salary should be reduced to TP$150,000.
During Hon. Pōhiva’s visit to New Zealand earlier this year, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key urged Tonga to take action on the illegal sale of passports.
Hon. Pōhiva said at the time the illegal passport sales were an “indication of corruption.”
At the time Hon. Pōhiva said a New Zealander could become the first Anti-Corruption Commissioner.
In July this year Kaniva News reported a claim by pioneer Tongan journalist Kalafi Moala that corruption in Tonga was now worse than ever.
Moala was speaking at forum on corruption in New Zealand and the Pacific organised by Transparency International.
The main points
For more information
Corruption in Tonga worse than ever, Moala tells Transparency International forum (Kaniva News)
Motorists and residents who were heading to churches on Taufaʻāhau Road this afternoon were surprised after a car careered into a bush in Nualei.
No reports of injuries and the driver escaped unharmed, local report says.
No other vehicle was involved.
