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‘Ikale Tahi squad named for 2015 Rugby World Cup

By
Kalino Latu
-

The ‘Ikale Tahi selectors have named 30 players for the Rugby World Cup 2015.

The squad, which will be captained by 33-year-old ‘Ikale Tahi captain Nili Latu at his third Rugby World Cup, is made up of 17 forwards and 13 backs, and with Tonga’s 91 years of rugby regional and international test matches since 1924, is the most experienced Ikale Tahi squad ever assembled.

Tonga  will face Georgia, Namibia, Argentina and New Zealand in Pool C during the Rugby World Cup which will be held in England  from September 18 to October 31.

Forwards:

Tevita Mailau (Perpignan), Alisona Taumalolo (Grenoble), Soane Tonga’uiha (Oyonnax), Halani Aulika (London Irish), Sila Puafisi (Gloucester), Elvis Taione (Exeter Chiefs), Paula Ngauamo (Mont de Marson), Aleki Lutui (Ampthill RFC), Tukulua Lokotui (Beziers), Joeseph Tiuneau (Dax), Steve Mafi (Western Force), Opeti Fonua (Leicester Tigers), Hala T-Pole (Otago), Nili Latu (Newcastle Falcons), Jack Ram (Auckland Blues), Viliami Ma’afu (Oyonnax), Sione Kalamafoni (Gloucester)

Backs:

Sonatane Takulua (Newcastle Falcons), Samisoni Fisilau (Jersey RFC), Sosefo Ma’ake (Havelu Bulldogs), Kurt Morath (Biarritz), Latiume Fosita (Doncaster), Sione Piukala (Perpignan), Siale Piutau (Yamaha), Viliami Tahitu’a (Northland), Fetu’u Vainikolo (Oyonnax), Telusa Veainu (Melbourne Rebels), Tevita Halaifonua (Gloucester), William Helu (Edinburgh), Vungakoto Lilo (Montauban)

Angry Lavulavu reacts to impeachment allegations, calls Speaker a ‘dictator’

By
Kalino Latu
-

The Speaker of Parliament repeatedly warned Hon. ‘Etuate Lavulavu this morning after the Minister used threatening language against him and called him a dictator.

Hon. Lavulavu, the MP for Vava’u 16 was furious when he learned a motion of impeachment motion against him was to be read in the House.

The motion accuses him, in part, of misusing his position as Minister of Infrastructure.

Hon. Lavulavu accused his fellow Vava’u MPs of being behind the impeachment.

He reacted angrily when the Speaker repeatedly warned him to sit down.

He threatened to impeach the Speaker for not allowing him to respond to his accusations.

The Speaker, Lord Tu’ivakano, told Hon. Lavulavu he could not be given the opportunity to respond to his impeachment because the matter was being referred for further consideration by the Privilege Standing Committee.

The Speaker told Hon. Lavulavu the Privilege Committee would assess the impeachment motion to see whether or not there was sufficient evidence to allow it to be placed before the House for deliberation.

Lord Tu’ivakano said the procedure was fair.

If the Committee, which was made up of capable members, validated the impeachment, then Hon. Lavulavu would be given the opportunity to respond when the impeachment was returned to the House.

Only part of the impeachment was read in the House this morning in accordance with the House rulings.

It alleged Hon. Lavulavu had misused his role as minister and mismanaged government possessions. He has denied the accusations.

The impeachment was submitted to the House by the Vava’u Member of the Nobles, Lord Tu’ilakepa.

Hon. Lavulavu apologised to the House when members returned for the second part of today’s sitting of Parliament after the lunch break.

Hon Lavulavu said he had behaved as he did because he wanted his side of the impeachment to be heard in public.

The tension in the House this morning led the Speaker to remind the House of the protocols and the House rulings, saying he had the power to order an MP out of the House if he disobeyed his order.

Today was the House’s first session after it returned from its mid-year recess, which began in June.

The main points

  • The Speaker of Parliament repeatedly warned Hon. ‘Etuate Lavulavu this morning after the Minister used threatening language against him and called him a dictator.
  • Lavulavu, the MP for Vava’u 16 and Minister for Infrastructure, was furious when he learned a motion of impeachment motion against him was to be read in the House.
  • The impeachment was submitted to the House by the Vava’u Member of the Nobles, Lord Tu’ilakepa.
  • It alleges Hon. Lavulavu misused his role as minister and mismanaged government possessions. He has denied the accusations.

For more information

Parliament of Tonga

Aircraft tyres burst while landing at ‘Eua airport

By
Kaniva Staff
-

A Real Tonga Airline plane without passengers suffered blown tyres when it landed safely at ‘Eua Airport last Saturday.

The Y2 aircraft had just touched down at Kaufana Airport when the tyres burst.

Real Tonga Airline did not immediately respond to our request for comment.

However the Director Tevita Palu told local media the company was working on a report about the incident before it would be submitted to the Ministry.

The Minister of Civil Aviation Hon ‘Etuate Lavulavu was reported as saying he was concerned about the safety of the people as he believed this was not the first time such mechanical breakdown happened.

Vegetable art portrays Kupesi Manulua at ‘Eua Royal Agricultural Show

By
Kaniva Staff
-

Of all Tonga’s four main islands including the Niuas, Vavaʻu and Haʻapai, the island of ‘Eua came up with an interesting idea at this year’s Royal Agricultural Show.

It was a vegetable art which portrayed the kupesi manulua or the manulua motif.

Vegetable art is commonly seen at flea markets and celebrations tables which mainly aimed to make the activities as much as beautiful, enjoyable and attractive as they get.

However at last week’s ʻEua Royal Agricultural Show the art, believed to have been displayed at the Hango Agricultural College’s shelter, exceptionally attracted a number of visitors and audience.

Some people took to Facebook and made comments on photos of the art such as, mālie means splendid or tō atu means fantastic.

Manulua is probably Tonga’s oldest kupesi and it sybolises two birds which stand for an omen of good luck.

Tapa cloths that feature manulua prominently used in funeral and wedding.

The Royal Agricultural Show

The show, which is normally attended by the king, is an annual national exhibition organized by the Ministry of MAFF to promote famers, growers, fishers and businesses’ products to the public and potential buyers.

Programme 2015

August 5 – Niuatoputapu

August 6 – Niuafo’ou

August 8 – Vava’u

August 12 – Ha’apai

August 14 – Eua

August 21 – 22 – Tongatapu

Rows over Forbes scandal blows up as Moala and Dr Eke lash out at each other

By
Kalino Latu
-

The row between Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva’s media adviser Kalafi Moala and his Finance Minister over the Forbes scandal has blown up, with both men pointing the finger of blame at each other.

And now Moala claims he has proof of the Finance Minister’s involvement in a series of leaked e-mails.

Moala, who is editor of  Taimi-‘O-Tonga newspaper, has lashed out at Dr ‘Aisake Eke, saying he was not telling the truth, made an imprudent decision and of “falsely accusing” the Prime Minister when he said earlier this week that Hon. Pohiva knew the interview would be paid for before his Finance Ministry was made aware of it.

However, Finance Minister Dr ‘Aisake Eke has hit back and claimed Moala has wrongly accused him and breached his contract agreement with government to keep to ethics and professional standard of his performance.

The row stems from revelations that the Tongan government agreed to pay the prestigious American business magazine nearly a quarter of a million pa’anga for an interview and a two page spread on the kingdom. Two journalists from Forbes interviewed the Prime Minister earlier this year.

This kind of arrangement for paid editorial content for promotional purposes is not unusual. However, the leaked e-mails make it clear that for whatever reason, nobody in the government seems to have realised that any money would be involved, even though the people they were dealing with produced advertising supplements.

You can find a link to the Forbes article at the bottom of this story.

Dr Eke said he still fully supported the Prime Minister and was not making any accusations against him over the Forbes saga.

Dr Eke claimed Moala had a possible personal agenda to break up the government.

Moala made his statements about Dr Eke in response to comments Dr Eke made yesterday. The Minister said he was not an appropriate person to advise the Prime Minister and alleged he had misrepresented Dr Eke’s involvement with Forbes scandal.

The Finance Minister insisted that he was not aware that the interview would be paid for until the Prime Minister was interviewed.

Dr Eke said his statement, which was released yesterday, was mainly aimed at Moala. He said the newspaper publisher had scandalised the government by creating an “unnecessary problem” after disseminating misguided information about the government.

Dr Eke claimed Moala had abused his duty as a civil servant by releasing misinformation to demonise the government, even though he was paid by the government and from tax payers’ money.

Moala argued the Minister of Finance must take responsibility for his actions.

He said Dr Eke’s accusations were “reckless” and he was trying to shift the blame for the Forbes ordeal and he also demonstrated a serious failure to be transparent.

Moala said he did not think the Forbes article would benefit the kingdom.

Dr Eke said Moala had breached his contract with government by circulating wrong information which was not authorised by the Prime Minister’s Office or the government.

Moala told Kaniva News the statement he released regarding the Forbes debacle was his and was not referred to the Prime Minister’s Office because they would not approve it.

He published the article in Taimi-‘O-Tonga.

Dr Eke said if Moala followed the right procedure he might have been corrected by the Office.

Dr Eke said Moala had recently made a mistake in one of the Prime Minister’s Office press releases.

In a press release confirming the government would host the Pacific Games in 2019 earlier this month, Moala published that the government had agreed to a two cent charge on foreign exchange currency to help fund the Games.

However, the charge was supposed to be one cent and when Moala was asked where he got his information from he cited Matangi Tonga Online.

The press release was taken down and a technical error was blamed. A revised press release with the correct information was posted on August 5.

Dr Eke said Moala was wrong when he insisted that the Ministry of Finance organised the Forbes interview and its  payment.

Dr Eke said Cabinet approved the payment to the magazine.

He asked why Moala did not check with the Cabinet staff about the decision.

Conflict of interest

Dr Eke said Moala’s role as the Prime Minister’s media adviser conflicted with his work as owner of a newspaper and radio broadcasting station.

“My question is where is the ethics and professional standard of journalism when Kalafi is doing his role in government while at the same time he is making money from the news in his newspaper and radio?,” Dr Eke said.

Dr Eke said the Prime Minister had told the House in June that he knew there were criticisms about the payment and claims that it was a waste of money.

According to Tonga’s Legislative Assembly’s minute number 26  June, 23,  2015, Hon. Pohiva apologised to the House, saying if the amount was too much there would be a way to recover it.

Moala has provided copies of what he claims are e-mails between the government ministries and the Forbes officials to Kaniva News.

Moala claims the e-mails show the Finance Minister was solely responsible for organising the interview and how it was to be paid before the Prime Minister was informed.

Kaniva News publishes the following documents purely as a matter of public interest.

E-mails timeline

Saturday, 31 January 2015 7:17 AM

An e-mail was sent by Eduardo Magaña, Senior Features Director of Forbes Custom Magazine to Ms Tupou Sisilia Tonga, the Senior Assistant Secretary/Policy Support Division and cc’d to Former Interim Chief Secretary ‘Aholotu Palu and other senior officers in government.

In the e-mail, Magaña said he “will be travelling to Tonga, to land on the 9th of February.  I have been in touch with the Office of the Prime Minister and they will be providing with a confirmation letter as  I will be meeting with the Prime Minister, therefore I copy Tupou Tonga as she has been kind enough to organise the meeting and will be providing the confirmation letter.

February 2, 2015 4:50 PM

On February 2 Ms Tonga e-mailed Wesley Nam , the Director of Forbes Custom and asked him to confirm whether or not Eduardo Magaña Otega and Ms Sheila O’Callaghan were Forbes representatives. Ms Tupou also asked Nam to confirm if the request for the interview with the Prime Minister was genuine.

February 3, 2015 1:57 PM

On February 3, 2015 an e-mail from Ms Tonga was sent to Tonga’s Secretary For Foreign Affairs & Trade and cc’d to ‘Aholotu Palu and other senior officers in government.

In the e-mail Ms Tupou confirmed the request by Forbes representative Edward Magaña on January 31 was approved and to be done on February 9, 2015.

Tupou told the secretary the Forbes Representative claimed they were from Forbes Magazine.

“We would appreciate any other information that the San Francisco Consulate Office or New York Mission Office might be able to provide on Forbes CM&S”, Tupou said in her e-mail.

February 4, 2015 3:50 AM

On  February 4, 2015 a response from Wesley Nam was e-mailed to Ms Tupou. Apparently the e-mail was cc’d to other Forbes officials according to names on the email cc panel.

In the e-mail, Nam said:  “I can confirm that Forbes Custom Magazines & Sections (Impact Media) is a legitimate and trusted partner of Forbes Media.  They promote and produce country economic development and investment-themed special advertising sections that appear in Forbes magazine.”

March 3, 2015 3:39 PM

On March 3, 2015, an e-mail was sent from Ms Tonga to Sasinita Tapueluelu, an accountant at the Ministry of Finance and National Planning and was cc’d to ‘Aholotu Palu and others in the government.

In the e-mail, Ms Tupou told Tapueluelu the Prime Minister’s Office had not been  aware that the interview with the Hon. Pohiva would be paid for until she raised the matter it in her e-mail.

March 7, 2015

On March 7, 2015, a senior officer from the Prime Minister’s Office on behalf of the Chief Secretary and Secretary to Cabinet (CSSC) contacted Magaña.

The e-mail reads: “We are concerned and disappointed that you have sent an invoice to the Ministry of Finance for the payment of the transcript for the interview with the Hon. Prime Minister…. From the outset of our email communications up to the interview you never mentioned any costs or charges for the interview.  You had stated in your request letter and in the interview that you chose Tonga because of the election of the new Prime Minister and the Coronation in July.  You had asked for an interview not an advert as stated in your invoice.

“We are not prepared to pay such a significant amount for two pages in a publication.  You may have wasted our time and the Hon Prime Minister’s time with your misleading request for an interview.

“I have copied in the PA (Personal Assistant) to the PM and the Press secretary who confirmed that there was no mention of any costs at the interview and they were also surprised at the mention of the invoice.”

March 9, 2015

In reply on March 9, 2015, the other journalist wrote:

“In my experience we rarely discuss pricing with a head of state as it is not his field.  However, we always discuss it with the Minister of Finance or Economy on direction from the Prime Minister or President.  I am sure the Minister of Finance, Mr. Eke must have told the Prime Minister of his decision to conclude the agreement with us.”

Signed: Sheila O’Callaghan, Managing Director, Forbes Custom Magazines and Sections.

Editor’s Comment

We published the e-mails above to help readers understand some of the facts surrounding the debacles over the Forbes interview. The e-mails were sent to us by Kalafi Moala at our request, but they were not forwarded in their original e-mail formats. We were unable to get confirmations of their authenticity from the senders and recipients of the e-mails so we chose not to publish the original we received from Kalafi.

It is apparent more e-mails must have been sent and received during the communication in relation to the Forbes interview, but we did not have them and they are not in the above e-mails.  I cannot therefore say that the e-mails above and the contract signed by the Ministry on February 13, two days after the Prime Minister was interviewed, confirmed the Minister of Finance was responsible. It is impossible to determine responsibility at this stage because there are still a lot of pieces missing from the puzzle as we do not have all the related communication information.

You can read the  contract agreement between Forbes and the Tongan government, here

The Prime Minister’s Office should come clean on this issue and release all communications and contacts made before, during and after the Forbes interview to the media as soon as possible so they can  be made available to the public. If not, the row between the Finance Minister and the Prime Minister’s media adviser will only embarrass the government of Hon. Pohiva.

The  main points

  • The row between Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva’s media adviser Kalafi Moala and his Finance Minister over the Forbes scandal has blown up, with both men pointing the finger of blame at each other.
  • Moala, who is editor of Taimi-‘O-Tonga newspaper, has lashed out at Dr Eke saying he was not telling the truth.
  • Now Finance Minister Dr ‘Aisake Eke has hit back and claimed Moala has breached his contract agreement with government to keep to ethics and professional standard of his performance.
  • The row stems from revelations that the Tongan government agreed to pay the prestigious American business magazine nearly a quarter of a million pa’anga for an interview and a two page spread on the kingdom.

For more information

You can read the Forbes article, ‘Tonga: The  Beginning of Excellence,’ here:

Deported: An interview with Sione Ngaue in the Kingdom of Tonga

By
Kaniva Staff
-

By courtesy of:  Todd Henry

Ever since my first visit to Tonga in 2007, I have noticed an ever growing population of American accented and often heavily tattooed residents that appear to have just arrived in the islands from places such as inner-city Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, or Dallas.  In fact, these places are where many of them actually did come from before being sent back to Tonga as the result of their own criminal convictions.

These deportees make up a subculture of sorts within Tongan society, and the way of life they grew accustomed to in the United States, or other large industrialised nations, is in stark contrast to the way of life that is customary in the islands.  The vast majority of deportees that I have met in Tonga were deported from the US, and while I have heard about some who were deported from places such as New Zealand or Australia, I have yet to meet them face to face.  The fact that so many have been deported from the US when compared to other locations where large populations of the Tongan diaspora reside is both compelling and concerning at the same time.

Despite being born in Tonga, the deportees live almost as if they are exiles in their own land.  Many were raised in the US from a very young age after emigrating with their parents or other family members, and they may not have any recollection of life in Tonga before moving abroad.  Many of the deportees identify as being American, which they are in terms of their overall appearance and conduct, but not in terms of legality.  Their chances of ever being permitted back into the US are very slim, and those who realise this are generally able to at least partially integrate back into Tongan society through learning the language, culture, and utilising existing family connections.  Other deportees, however, choose to continue on the very path that got them sent back to Tonga in the first place, and inevitably find themselves in and out of the Tongan prison system as a result.

On my most recent trip to Tonga I met a man named Sione Ngaue.  He is an American deportee who now resides on his family land in the village of Nukunuku on the island of Tongatapu.  Despite his history, Sione is an example of a deportee success story.  He has managed to start a new family back in Tonga, and he works as a freelance artist and tattooer, specialising in traditional Tongan designs.

I cycled out to Nukunuku from Nuku’alofa one afternoon to visit Sione in his traditional Tongan fale, which is one of the few left standing in Tonga. We talked at length about his own personal experience of being deported from the US, and about his new life in the Kingdom of Tonga.

The following is a transcript of our conversation recorded on July 14th, 2015:

Todd: What is your name and when did you get deported back to Tonga from the United States?

Sione: My name is Sione Kihe Kai Ngaue, and I got deported from America to Tonga in 2008.

Do you want to talk about why you got deported?

There were several things that led up to it, but in the end it was vehicular manslaughter.

What was the deportation process itself like? How did you first find out that you were going to be deported?

You usually know that you are going to be deported when you are like a year into the system, your prison term you pretty much know the warrants you have and things like that, you know you have an INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service) hold real early. So when you are doing your time you know that you’re going to get deported.

So you serve the whole sentence and then you go?

That’s the way it is. Everybody who gets deported has to serve their time in America before they are deported.

How does the process of actually being deported go, do officials actually escort you?

Yes, you get out of prison and when you come out the gates you have INS officers waiting for you, you know, with cuffs again. So you come out of cuffs, to get put on cuffs. You know, they take the state cuffs off, and the feds put their cuffs on you and put you in their bus. So you go through the process all over again with the INS, but the one thing good about INS is that you know the longest you’re going to be there is three months and you will be sent home.

So do they fly with you on the plane?

They have to escort you, they make sure. The judge tells you, “you will be escorted”. Especially if you have a heavy record. Some have a lesser record only get escorted by one (INS official), and some will even get escorted by three. I was escorted by two, my older brother was escorted by three.

When you land in the destination airport, do they just take the handcuffs off of you and you go?

There is no cuffs on the plane, it’s against federal law and international law. You just give them your word and they’re like “I’m taking you home”, if you try anything you will go back to prison in the US and you will never get out. Behave and you will go home.

So when you land in Tonga, then do they have to release you over to the Tongan police?

No, if I wanted to I could have just walked off but I hung around the airport immigration for a minute and the guy told me that he saw me get off with those guys. Actually when we went through New Zealand they (the INS officials) bought me duty-free two bottles of whiskey and two cartons of cigarettes. Them guys, they were happy that I was a good guy, you know? I was happy to go home.

So did you have any family in Tonga when you arrived back after being deported?

I didn’t have a visitor for the thirteen and a half years I served, so I didn’t let anybody know that I was getting deported. I got out of the airport and I walked all the way home, my Mom was here, and my brother but they didn’t know. It was just all of a sudden, and here I am.

How old were you when you originally left Tonga for the US?

I left when I was four.

So in your mind you were American?

Yes.

What was it like essentially being an American by all accounts minus the legal side of things, and then having to integrate back into Tongan society? Was it a hard transition?

It wasn’t as hard for me as it is for some other deportees because I had family here already. I can speak for some of my deportee brothers and sisters who get sent down here, and who don’t have family. They have a harder transition. I had family here at the time when I got here.

Did you speak the Tongan language at that time?

Very little, very little. I could pass, just barely make it through. It wasn’t until I had been here for like six years that my Tongan really evolved.

Do you think that some of the deportees who are sent back try to continue with the gang lifestyle in Tonga that they left behind in the US?

Yes, a lot of them. Dozens. And they are now in the Tongan prison system, you know. Right out of the US system, and they didn’t learn. Coming with the same lifestyle from the US to Tonga, you can’t do that. Tonga is laid back slow man, you gotta go with it. You gotta go slow here.

How many deportees from the US would you estimate are here in Tonga?

Man…hundreds. I think there are over 400. I don’t think it’s reached the thousands, but when I was here there was like 300 or 400 from the US alone. That was six years ago.

Is there a reintegration program, or other support network for deportees when they arrive back in Tonga?

No, the worst part is that the ones that come from America, out of that system and they do long terms, you know ten years, 15 years. And they were taking some kind of psychological medication and then they sent them here to Tonga without it. When I came to Tonga, all I had was a picture ID, a passport. It was a piece of paper, that was my passport they brought me with. So I didn’t have any kind of medications or anything. A lot of these deportees, they’ve been on medication for all their lives and they get down here and just kind of let loose and that’s where they roam around going crazy. Tongan society ain’t gonna help them too much. People here won’t know what’s wrong with them to help them.

With all the deportees coming from the US who have essentially no support network in Tonga, are they essentially reforming the same gangs here?

It’s basically not like that anymore, I think it’s more like a of a single-man game. You know, you come down here, you start your little crew of three or four people and you do whatever you do to survive. Like I said before, they haven’t figured it out so a majority of them are in Tolitoli prison now.

I have been seeing TCG (Tongan Crips Gang) graffiti around, is that something that is currently active here?

It is, it is active in Tonga, but they really don’t know what they meaning of TCG is. You know, a lot of the local kids are getting involved in the painting and stuff on the wall but they don’t know the concept behind it for real. That’s the good part.

If you were given the opportunity, would you go back to the US tomorrow?

No, I wouldn’t. I would never go to the US, never again in my life do I want to see the US. I’m not angry, and I don’t have anything bad to say about it. I am the pilot of my own plane, you know. I have lived it, and I know America but I love Tonga. I love not having money and things like that, it makes me who I am and it’s no big deal.

Can you explain what you do now to survive here in Tonga?

As you know, I was incarcerated for thirteen and a half years and within that time I tightened up my artistic skills and I am a tattoo artist. I am slowly getting into paintings and everything else. I believe that when a man tells himself that he is a professional or a master in something, he ceases to learn more so I am an apprentice and I will be an apprentice until I die. This is what I do, I am a freehand tattoo artist. Always learning.

Is there anything at all that you could say you miss about the US?

The only thing I miss is a greasy cheeseburger, you know. That’s basically it. And it miss my brothers that are incarcerated right now, but they are still alive. That’s it. Other than that it’s all good.

Thanks for taking the time to talk today Sione. Is there anything else you would like to say about life in Tonga?

Life in Tonga is about one love, that’s it. That’s it. Laid back. If you ain’t got funds here, it’s not the end of the world. We eat coconuts, bananas, and papayas all for free. That’s what we say, ofa atu!

Malo Sione! Ofa Atu

Typhoid alert in Tonga

By
Kaniva Staff
-

Tonga’s Ministry of Health has issued an alert about typhoid fever in the kingdom but did not say whether or not any cases of typhoid were diagnosed.

According to a report by Radio FM87.5 this afternoon  a restriction on social activities and movements of locals has been declared at the town of Vaini so that medical officers could be able to medically sort out the infectious disease in the community.

The students of Beulah College boarding school, situated at Vaini,  have been sent home to their families amid fears of an outbreak, the radio reported.

The principal of the school Mele Vaihola was reported as saying students were sent home as they thought that might be safer for them.

Dr Seini Kupu, a Senior Medical Officer at Vaiola Hospital, was reported by the radio as saying the ministry was facing a big challenge when there was  typhoid outbreak.

Typhoid fever is an infection that causes diarrhea and a rash. It is most commonly due to a type of bacterium called Salmonella typhi. Typhi is spread through contaminated food, drink, or water.

Christ’s University in Pacific opens in Tonga

By
Kaniva Staff
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The Tokaikolo Church in Tonga has opened a new university in Nukuʻalofa today known as Christ’s University in Pacific.

The new Christian campus is operated at the church’s Maseia Plaza building.

It  was previously named as Lavengamalie Christian University (USA) after it was first established  in Palo Alto, USA in 2003.

“The mission of the university is to provide a tertiary education program with a Christian world-view which will equip students for future Christian service”.

The founder is president of the church, Rev. Dr Liufau Vailea Saulala and CUP is a division of Tokaikolo Education System with a history of 36 years since  it was first established in 1979.

The word “Tokaikolo” was coined from the Bible, “The Lord is in your midst” (Zephaniah 3:15).

‘Ikale Tahis move up to 10th in world rugby rankings

By
Kalino Latu
-

Tonga have moved up to 10th place in the World Rugby Rankings following their performance in the Pacific Nations Cup early this month.

The ‘Ikale Tahis climbed two places from 12th into the top 10 after winning three matches in the PNC.

In other Pacific teams, Samoa dropped to 11th below Tonga while the Flying Fijians hit new heights after becoming the World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup 2015 champion .

Rankings:

1 All Blacks
2 Ireland 
3 Australia 
4 England 
5 South Africa
6 Wales 
7 France
8 Argentina 
9 Fiji 
10 Tonga

PM Pohiva knew about magazine payment,  Dr Eke claims, as interview row heats up

By
Kalino Latu
-

Tonga’s Minister of Finance says Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva knew in advance he would pay  for an interview with Forbes magazine.

And he confirmed that the Cabinet approved a payment of nearly a quarter of a million pa’anga for the interview and a double page spread in the prestigious American business publication.

Kaniva News has obtained a copy of the contract between the Tongan government and the magazine.

We sent it to the government’s Chief Secretary for confirmation. In response, Dr Palenitina Langa’oi  said she copied our e-mail to Finance Ministry’s Secretary.

We are still waiting for a response.

Finance Minister Dr ‘Aisake Eke denied reports that he was the one who organised the agreement with Forbes representatives before contacting the Prime Minister.

Dr Eke was responding to an article in Taimi-‘O-Tonga newspaper by editor Kalafi Moala which accused the minister of arranging the interview without letting Hon. Pohiva know about it first and later defending the payment.

Dr Eke said Moala’s accusation against him brought into question his appropriateness as an advisor to the Prime Minister as he should have talked to the former secretary to cabinet and the Prime Minister to get his facts right before publishing a story.

In a statement released today in Tongan by the Ministry of Finance and National planning, Dr Eke said he did not know about the interview as the whole set up was done by the Prime Minister’s Office and he was only contacted by two Forbes representatives after they interviewed the Prime Minister.

The Finance Minister said when he met with the magazine’s representatives he was asked to check on the cost of paying the magazine for the interview.

Dr Eke said that was the first time when he knew about the payment. He said he was initially told  it would cost US$150,000, but he told them it was too expensive and the price was reduced to US$130,000.

Dr Eke claimed former  Secretary to Cabinet  ‘Aholotu Palu made the deal with Forbes, which was endorsed by the Prime Minister.

He said after the interview was approved the Prime Minister’s Office processed the visa applications for the magazine’s staff to come to Tonga.

Dr Eke said Moala accused him of defending the payment by saying it was a good marketing approach because Forbes had millions of readers.

However, Dr Eke said it was the Prime Minister who first informed the House about the benefits Tonga would receive from the interview. The Finance Ministry later released the details of the payment and a statement about its benefits for the nation.

The Minister also hit out at the newspaper editor’s question about how the Minister of Finance arranged the interview and paid for it from the Tourism vote without the minister of Tourism’s knowledge.

The Finance Minister said the Tourism Minister was a member of Cabinet which passed a resolution to pay for the interview from Tourism’s vote.

Dr Eke claimed Taimi-‘O-Tonga’s publisher had misrepresented his involvement in the Forbes interview and raised questions about his fitness to be a media advisor for the Prime Minister‘s Office.

The minister said Moala’s action had breached the government’s pledge to live by one of the core principles of the mechanism of good governance, which was to tell the truth.

The minister revealed the total amount of money eventually paid to Forbes was T$233,044.04 (US$109,612.26 or NZ$167,486.31) after a deduction of a 15 percent withholding tax.

Forbes interview

In February the Prime Minister’s Office released a statement saying Hon Pohiva had been interviewed by the magazine on February 11.

It said the magazine picked Tonga because of the appointment of Hon. Pohiva as Prime Minister and the upcoming coronation of His Majesty King Tupou VI.

The press statement claimed the interview would also appear in the Chinese edition of Forbes because of China’s investment in the kingdom.

There was no mention of any payment for the interview.

The government signed a contract with Forbes two days after Hon. Pohiva was interviewed.

Contract

The contract was made between the Minister of Finance and Forbes on February 13. It said: “The cooperation undertakes to include an advertisement on report on Kingdom of Tonga which is to be published in Forbes magazine, with the following characteristics: Double page spread.”

A payment of US$130,000 was also noted to be paid by the Tongan government, in which 50 percent must be paid before March 13 and the remaining 50 percent to be paid on publication.

According to cabinet decision 444, the Chief Secretary and Secretary to Cabinet Dr. Palenitina Langaʻoi told the Ministry of Finance the recommendation for the payment was approved by Cabinet on April 27. She confirmed that the payment had to be paid from the Tonga Tourism Authority vote.

The Prime Minister said at the time he was unaware that the interview would cost so much amount of money.

He defended the payment by saying the government spent a lot of money on tourist promotions each year and that the interview with Forbes was worth it because of its target audience.

The main points

  • Tonga’s Minister of Finance says Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva knew in advance he would pay for an interview with Forbes
  • And he confirmed that the Cabinet approved a payment of nearly a quarter of a million pa’anga for the interview and a double page spread in the prestigious American business publication.
  • Finance Minister Dr ‘Aisake Eke denied reports that he was the one who organised the agreement with Forbes representatives before contacting the Prime Minister.
  • Dr Eke was responding to an article in Taimi-‘O-Tonga newspaper by editor Kalafi Moala which accused the minister of arranging the interview without letting Hon. Pohiva know about it first and later defending the payment.

For more information

Hon. Prime Minister’s Interview with the Forbes Magazine (Prime Minister’s Office)

Tonga pays thousands to Forbes for PM interview (RNZI)

Forbes magazine

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