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Serious crash at Tufumahina royal residence, driver and passengers fled scene

By
Kaniva Staff
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The driver and passengers of a car that crashed into the fence of the royal residence in Tufumahina this morning had allegedly fled the scene.

An eye witnessed who did not want to be identified told Kaniva News the accident happened at about 11am when the car veered off and almost hit one of the two tiger statues that stand by the main entrance of the residence on Taufa’ahau rd.

It then flipped and rolled over landing between one of the statues and the fence.

Police have yet to respond to our request for comments.

Tragic teen Jessica Kiutau laid to rest in Manukau Memorial Garden

By
Kaniva Staff
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There were moving scenes today as the body of tragic teenager Jessica Kiutau was laid to rest in Manukau, Memorial Garden.

The 17-year-old was found dead at her South Auckland home in mysterious circumstances last weekend although the family have an explanation to those who attended her funeral about what they believed had caused their loved one to leave them so early.

Kaniva understands it would take time for the authority to officially determine the cause of Jessica’s death.

Hundreds of family and friends gathered to say their farewell to the young woman this morning in a farewell service that began with a Mass at the Holy Cross Church in Papatoetoe.

Laid to rest in a black coffin, a single picture of Ms Kiutau was placed by her coffin by her parents Ponita and Lolesio Kiutau.

Many of young teen’s schoolmates from McAuley High School held back their tears as her remains arrived at the church and at the cemetery.

Many wore their school uniforms and held up photos of the late teen. Some of them carried Jessica’s coffin from the church to a waiting black hearse before she was taken to the cemetery.

At the cemetery the students performed an emotional Maori Haka to honour their school mate while families and friends wept the last moment before Jessica was laid to rest.

Many took to Facebook including friends and relatives who said the family were trying to come to terms with their loss.

Jessica’s death has left a huge void at the heart of our whole family, one family commentator said on Facebook.

Seini Vito Wairasi said Jessica was a “quiet and well-behaved girl”.

Government saves TP$1.6 million of King’s coronation celebration by careful cost cutting

By
Kalino Latu
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King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau’u on their coronation day. Photo/Edwina Pickles (Fairfax Media)

The coronation of King Tupou VI cost taxpayers TP$1.6 million (NZ$1 million) less than expected, the Prime Minister’s office has announced.

The savings were the result of careful cost cutting on everything from free travel to flowers.

The Prime Minister’s Office said King Tupou’s coronation had been expected to cost TP$5.2 million (NZ$3.6 million), but had only cost TP$3.6 million (NZ$2.5 million).

The savings contrasted with the TP$10 million (NZ$7  million) spent on the coronation of the  late King George VI.

The money spent came from TP$1.9 million (NZ$1.3 million) from the Palace Office and TP$1.7 million (NZ$1.2 million) from the government and Cabinet Coronation Committees, which were chaired by the Prime Minister.

Tonga Revenue, Custom and Immigration Ministry’s CEO ‘Anisi Bloomfield told Kaniva News the coronation had been widely seen as a success and an encouragement to the government’s policy of cutting as much as possible unnecessary spending of public funds.

Bloomfield was a member of the committee which monitored the funding of the event. He said the government’s partner organisations and businesses worked very well together to make the event a great success.

He said the government cut funding for matters they believed would not affect the coronation.

Overtime payment for drivers was cut and petrol use was recorded and closely monitored.

Vehicle rentals were reduced and for the most part government vehicles were used instead.

Free travel for people from the outer islands was restricted to a certain number of travellers and other travellers had to pay for themselves.

During the coronation of George VI the government gave outer islanders free travel to Tongatapu to participate in the celebration.

The government also reduced spending on the renovation of the Centenary Chapel where the crowning took place and agreed to equally share the costs with the Free Wesleyan Church,

They also cut the spending on certain occasions, including the special dressing for those who were awarded medals. For instance, the kahoa kakala (necklaces of flowers) given to guests at royal events normally cost TP$200 (NZ$140) each.

They also reduced spending on communication and media and the amount of fireworks used.

“The success of the Coronation is due to the effective collaboration between Government Ministries and the public at large from Tonga and abroad,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.

The main points

  • The coronation of King Tupou VI cost taxpayers TP$1.6 million less than expected, the Prime Minister’s Office has announced.
  • The savings were the result of careful cost cutting on everything from free travel to flowers.
  • The Prime Minister’s Office said King Tupou’s wedding had been expected to cost TP$5.2 million, but had only cost TP$3.6 million.
  • The savings contrasted with the TP$10 million spent on the coronation of the late King George VI.

For more information

Tonga crowns King Tupou VI in lavish public coronation, parties (ABC)

Family heartbroken at death of Tongan teen

By
Kaniva Staff
-

A Tongan family in South Auckland have been left heartbroken at the loss of a 17-year-old teenage girl whose cause of death has yet to be determined by authority.

Jessica Kiutau the eldest daughter of Lolesio and Benita Kiutau was found dead at her home in Papatoetoe yesterday Saturday, October 31.

According to a family member, Emergency Services were called in and an intensive first aid effort was made to revive her before she was taken to hospital.

Her aunt Sr Kalala Taufa Kiutau has confirmed her death to Kaniva News last night.

She also wrote on Facebook after she received the news: “Kiutau family is a big family…..but we failed to help and save our niece….a cousin….and an aunt to grand nieces and grand nephews”.

“Jessica will be missed for her deep love of children…..she had a great sense of humour”.

King agrees to set up royal commission to investigate Tonga’s passport scandal

By
Kaniva Staff
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His Majesty King Tupou VI assented to a move by Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva’s government to establish a Royal Commission to investigate the Tongan passport scandal.

This has been confirmed to Kaniva News by Tonga’s Minister of Police, Hon Pōhiva Tuʻiʻonetoa.

Hon Tuʻiʻonetoa said when the new government approached the king recently and asked for His assent to the commission His Majesty told them he had already approved the Royal Commission in 2014.

But the former government delayed establishing the commission because they had queries about it and wanted to make another proposal to the king.

The former government was ousted in last Novermbers’ general election before the royal commission was set up.

Dr Tuʻiʻonetoa, who was talking to us from the Cook Islands last week while attending a meeting said they expected to meet in two week times to set up the commission.

Kaniva previously reported that:

Tuʻiʻonetoa, Tonga’s former General Auditor believed the commission’s inquiry would help bring many answers to questions that had gone unanswered for years regarding the sale and issuing  of Tongan passports particularly to foreigners.

The Tongan passport scandal  

Hon. Tu’i’onetoa told Kaniva News  last year that a passport scandal allegedly involving the Prime Minister’s office in 2014 was one of  the two biggest he had come across in the past three years.

His claim came after audited documents leaked to New Zealand media, including Kaniva News, showed a table headed “Summary of holders of ordinary passport with no naturalisation certificate during audit period”.

A list of 12 Chinese nationals was then displayed  in the table.

The documents also noted that when the auditor asked the Immigration Department to explain why Chinese nationals were being given Tongan passports without holding naturalisation certificate as the law requires, he was told “the direction was given from higher authority.”

 No law

When the Auditor’s office urged the Attorney General to charge the people involved, his office said they could not do anything because there was no law that could be used to launch a prosecution.

Tongan passports were issued illegally to Asians in the 1980s. In 1999 the sale of the Tongan passports was stopped, with the government saying it had sold almost 7000 passports to Asians for almost US$40 million (TP277 million/NZ$181 million).

The termination of the sales came after ‘Akilisi Pohiva, who was then an opposition Parliamentarian, launched a lawsuit against the government for selling the passports. The government then changed the kingdom’s constitution to allow the sale.

The then king, King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV, decided the money needed to be invested overseas, saying that if it was deposited in Tonga “the government would only spend it on roads.”

The money was invested in a number of overseas funds at the suggestion of financial adviser Jesse Bogdonoff, a former Bank of America official who had been named as the king’s jester. In still disputed circumstances, most of the money that had been invested in the Tongan Trust Fund was lost.

Fraud with fake papers, four charged

By
Kaniva Staff
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Four men accused of using fake birth certificate and other documents to obtain a passport from Immingration are facing several forgery and deception charges in Nukuʻalofa.

Tonga’s Deputy Police Commissioner ‘Unga Fa’aoa has confirmed an investigation was launched earlier this month after Police received complaint concerning a suspicious passport application.

It was alleged the suspect was non-Tongan and he or she used forged Tongan birth certificate in the application.

The accused were facing charges of forgery, knowingly dealing with forged documents, illegal access and interference with course of justice.

The four accused will appear at the Magistrate Court on Monday November 9, 2015.

As the matter is before court police were unable to comment further.

‘Ikale Tahi received Aoniu donations, but not the amount they were promised

By
Kalino Latu
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L-R: Tonga’s TRU Chair ‘Epeli Taione and CEO Fuka Kitekei’aho.

The ‘Ikale Tahi players finally received the money promised for representing the kingdom in the Rugby World Cup, but it wasn’t the amount they were promised.

Tonga Rugby Union (TRU) CEO Fuka Kitekei’aho has apologised to the national team and said he would balance out everything after the tournament.

Kitekei’aho admitted that he and TRU sometimes became emotional and told the team things they would do for them, but in the end could not keep to their promise.

TRU and Aoniu had announced that TP$75,919 would be distributed among the team, but in the end about TP$50,000 was sent.

Kaniva News understands the shortfall consisted of TP$25,000 the TRU said had been donated by Tonga Power Ltd.

Tonga Power Ltd told us this morning they would respond to our request for comment on their donation early next week and said they had asked for a report from TRU about their money.

Aoniu representative Hon Semisi Sika, who is also Chair of Whole House Committee,  told Kaniva News  their Aoniu committee did not receive Tonga Power Ltd’s donation and so they decided to deduct it from the amount that was announced, the balance was sent to the players.

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Some of the players told us they only received part of the money announced by the Aoniu after the fundraising dinner.

TRU Chair ‘Epeli Taione told Kaniva News the money was paid to the players included a top up payment of TP$1000 to each players when they competed against Argentina and the All Blacks.

When questioned about Tonga Power’s donation and why the amount dispersed was not what was officially announced on the night of the fund-raising dinner, Taione said: “Maau mea Kotoa ne top aki e vahe tamaiki taki taha afe he tau mo asenitina pea top up 1 afe tupu he tau mo nz. Maau kotoa I ai e fkmatala paanga kotoa ki heni he ofisi Union”.

Translated:

“Everything went as planned. It was paid as top up on the boys’ pay by one thousand each when they played against Argentina and New Zealand. All done there is financial statement for this at the Union’s Office”.

In a message written in Tongan and sent through Facebook to the ‘Ikale Tahi players in England seen by Kaniva News, the players were told there were problems with trying to immediately release the money to them because there were repeated delays when trying to collect the sales made by Taione.

The message also said TRU were not forthcoming with players’ bank accounts in which Aoniu required so they can disperse the money directly to the players.

Meanwhile, the Rugby Union CEO told the team that even after he signed off on their wages on August 17, there was a problem with the Ministry of Internal Affair, upon which the TRU relied financially.

Kitekei’aho said the team was told by its manager, Soape Tu’iono, that each player would get TP$2,000 after each game during the tournament, but that Tu’iono did not get the money.

He said he would send each player TP$3,000 to cover two weeks’s wages.

After that the players’ pay would be increased to TP$2000 each week until the end of the World Cup, the CEO wrote. He claimed he was trying to get TP$3000 for each player and would take it from there when Ikale Tahi got into the quarter finals.

Kitekei’aho did not respond to our request for comments.

Tonga was defeated by New Zealand, Argentina and Georgia, but beat Namibia 35-21 and now ranks13th.  On the official Rugby World Cup page, replica Tongan jerseys are still selling for £990, but beanies have been reduced to £5.

The main points

  • The ‘Ikale Tahi players have finally received the money promised for representing the kingdom in the Rugby World Cup, but it wasn’t the amount they were promised.
  • Tonga Rugby Union CEO Fuka Kitekei’aho has apologised to the national team and said he would balance out everything after the tournament.
  • Kitekei’aho admitted that he and TRU sometimes became emotional and told the team things they would do for them, but in the end could not keep to their promise.
  • Tonga Rugby Union had announced that TP$75,919 would be distributed among the team, but in the end about TP$50,000 was sent.

Hahake foreshore structures may show way in fighting coastal erosion in the Pacific islands

By
Kalino Latu
-

 Tongan authorities claim the new foreshore structures launched in the Hahake area could provide a new approach for addressing the problem of coastal erosion caused by climate change.

The two structures are known as sedi-tunnel groynes and detached-breakwaters.

They have been used successfully in Europe and some parts of the United States.

Manu Manuofetoa, the National Co-ordinator of the project said the sedi-tunnel groynes consisted of cement boxes erected off the coast of Makaunga and Talafo’ou.

They were intended to interrupt the flow of sand from Afa,  Kolonga, Manuka and Navutoka.

The groynes create beaches and prevent sands from being washed away by longshore drift.

Manuofetoa said the detached-breakwater was a 20 metre concrete coast-parallel structure erected at Manuka coastal area. The concrete structures were laid 10 metres apart from each other. They were designed to break the strong currents from hitting the coast.

Manuofetoa said the breakers collected sand and debris drifting along the sea coast, but they also hindered the strong current from eroding the beach.

The EU-funded Global Climate Change Alliance: Pacific Small Island States programme has offered about TP$1.3 million (NZ$890,000) to fund the project.

The project also includes a new children’s playground on Manuka beach.

Manuofetoa said the people of the areas warmly welcomed the project by preparing a feast to welcome the Prime Minister and government officials as well as representatives from the EU, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community GCCA and villagers on the day the programme was launched.

The new structures are part of an €11.4 million (NZ$19 million/TP$27 million) Pacific-wide programme including the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Tonga, Tuvalu.

Coastal zone management is one of a range of projects. Other areas dealt with under the programme include agriculture, health, infrastructure, overall development and poverty reduction, water and sanitation.

The main points

  • Tongan authorities claim the new foreshore structures launched in the Hahake area could show the way in addressing the problems of coastal erosion caused by climate change.
  • The two structures are known as sedi-tunnel groynes and detached-breakwaters.
  • Manu Manuofetoa, the National Co-ordinator of the project said the structures were intended to interrupt the flow of sand from Afa, Kolonga, Manuka and Navutoka.
  • The groynes create beaches and prevent sands from being washed away by longshore drift.

For more informationn 

Buying Time Tonga – GCCA (Pacific Secretariat)

The fight to save Tongatapu’s coastline (Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme)

Global Climate Change Alliance (European Commission)

Ladies Fusitu’a and Fielakepa forced to resign

By
Kaniva Staff
-

Lady ‘Eseta Fusitu’a who was Chair of Tonga Broadcasting Commission was told to resign effective on Monday October 19 at 4.30pm.

Lady Tuna Fielakepa one of the directors of the Tonga Broadcasting Commission was also told to submit her resignation on the same day as Fusitu’a.

The cabinet decision means that if the duo did not hand in their resignations by Monday they would be sacked.

Tonga’s Minister of Police Hon Pohiva Tu’i’onetoa told Kaniva News the cabinet understood Fusitu’a and Fielakepa were seeking legal action on the matter as they rejected government’s previou requests to voluntarily tender their resignations as board members.

Tu’i’onetoa said the new government wanted to put into place its policies and schemes and the decision  against Fusitu’a and Fielakepa was made so that a new board of directors  would do the work.

Former Education Minister and CEO approved million dollar proposal to Taiones’ IT company

By
Kalino Latu
-

The former Minister of Education and Training, Dr. ‘Ana Maui Taufe’ulungaki approved a deal which cost more than a million dollars with a company partly owned by a close relative of the king.

The deal to upgrade the ministry’s management and information system was made with Triesten Technologies, a company owned by Lupepau’u and ‘Epeli Taione. Lupepau’u is His Majesty’s niece.

The deal with the Taiones was revealed after the Ministry  arranged to hire an IT expert to upgrade the Ministry’s IT system for only TP$150,000, the Prime Minister’s Office said.

The offer to Triesten Technologies by Dr Taufe’ulungaki was confirmed to the Taiones in a letter dated October 7, 2014 signed by former Education Ministry CEO Emily Moala Pouvalu, the Office said.

Epeli Taione did not respond to our request for comment. However, he wrote on his Facebook page: “A lot of people and media outlets have asked me questions about the ongoing saga with MET (Ministry of Education) in Tonga. We are just another business that work so hard to earn a living, and we wish we can help out whatever way we can if given the chance.”

News about the Triesten Technologies deal came after Dr Taufe’ulungaki and Pouvalu strongly criticised the move by the Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva – who is also Minister of Education – to hire information technology expert Piveni Piukala to upgrade the Ministry’s IT system.

They presented a petition to the king asking him to terminate Hon. Pohiva’s appointment as Minister of Education.

Pouvalu, whose contract with the ministry ended in May, insisted that hiring Piukala would damage years of work she and her staff had devoted to developing the ministry’s IT system.

It was not immediately clear whether or not Triesten had initiated the project approved by Dr Taufe’ulungaki and Pouvalu.

The Prime Minister was not made aware of the offer to Triesten.

“When the Hon. Minister assumed his portfolio for education and training in January this year, the Ministry did not inform him that there was such a prior arrangement,” the Office of the Prime Minister said.

“It was only revealed to him on Saturday, October 17.

“According to the Hon. Minister, if he had been made aware of this arrangement, there would be no misunderstanding on the software issue that the Ministry is facing today.”

The Office said the Prime Minister considered hiring Piukala as he wanted to immediately address complaints raised by parents last year about the results of students’ examination.

The Prime Minister invited Piukala to come to Tonga in February to start working with the ministry on data analysis.

The Prime Minister’s Office described Piukala as an expert in ICT who had developed a management and monitoring integrated information system for the Samoan Ministry of Education.

It said the Samoan Government paid him Samoan Tala $180,000 (TP$150,000) to develop the software.

“Mr. Piukala is a Tongan Citizen, and is willing to assist the Ministry to develop an in-house customised Management and Monitoring Integrated Information System to meet the needs of the Ministry at a cost of TP$150,000,” the Office said.

The Office said his software would be able to analyse the performance of students to allow the Ministry to raise the quality of education and student achievement.

His contract with the ministry is expected to run from October this year to February, 2016.

Triesten Technologies

It was not clear at the time of writing how the Taione’s company is linked to Triesten Technologies, an Indian company with offices in India, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, the United Kingdom and New Zealand.

According to the company’s website, it has an office in Tonga at Fakafanua South Building in Ma’ufanga.

It lists several schools and colleges in India as clients and says it provides information management systems.

The main points

  • The former Minister of Education and Training, Dr. ‘Ana Maui Taufe’ulungaki approved a deal which cost more than a million dollars with a company partly owned by a close relative of the king.
  • The deal to upgrade the ministry’s management and information system was made with Triesten Technologies, a company owned by Lupepau’u and ‘Epeli Taione. Lupepau’u is His Majesty’s niece.
  • The deal with the Taiones was revealed after the Ministry arranged to hire an IT expert to upgrade the Ministry’s IT system for only TP$150,000, the Prime Minister’s Office said.
  • The Office said the Prime Minister, ‘Akilisi Pohova, who is currently Education Minister, had not been aware of the proposal.
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