Police in Tonga are currently investigating after a man died in Tongatapu last night.
Nukuʻalofa Police Superindentent Tēvita Fifita has confirmed this to Kaniva News this evening.
He said he could not release further details regarding the death because an investigation was still underway to find out those who were involved.
He said it was believed the deceased was drinking wth others before he died.
The people of Vanua Balavu in the Lau Group in Fiji presented a hāʻunga (baked food normally and formally presented as a welcome) to the Tongan team who brought tons of relief supplies to the island before they left for the kingdom last week.
The hāʻunga was presented with a puaka toho (big hog) and followed with a formal speech by the matāpule who represented the locals.
A Tongan navy boat arrived in Fiji at the end of February to help the international recovery effort carried out in the country following the devastating Cyclone Winston which slammed into the group killing at least 44 people and left about a billion dollar worth of destruction.
Following the disaster Tongan authority contacted the Fijian government to offer their supports and helps.
Tonga was told to send its assistance to Vanua Balavu in the Lau Group.
The VOEA Pangai arrived in the island with relief supplies including 12 tons of food, 2000 litres of water, 200 tents, tarpaulins and other relief items.
It followed with the arrival of the VOEA Late with further loads of relief supplies donated by the National Emergency and Management Centre (NEMO), Tonga Red Cross Society and the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga (FWC).
The emergency relief supplies included food, water and shelter kits.
The FWC sent their relief supply assistances to the Tongan pastor who was in charge of the FWC congregation in the island.
A statement from NEMO said the Tongan national emergency body “acknowledged the help provided by the local people in appreciation of the support from the people of the Government of Tonga”.
“Further, the Vanua Balavu locals held a formal ceremony to farewell the team with presentation of the ‘ha’unga’ to show their gratitude to the operation team from Tonga”.
Vanua Balavu is the third largest island in the Lau archipelago and majority of the locals are of Tongan origins.
An illegal fishing vessel has been discovered operating in the northern waters of Tonga during a patrol by a Tongan navy boat.
The unidentified vessel was then forced to dock at the port in Vavaʻu.
The incident has been reported by different sources on social media today.
“This boat was just ordered into Vava’u by the Tongan Navy”, the owner of the Mounu Island Resort said on Facebook
“It was illegally fishing the Tongan Watersâ€, it said.
“Proud of the Navy’s effort and hope the Govt impound boat and give them a massive fineâ€.
This boat was just ordered into Vava’u by the Tongan Navy. It was illegally fishing the Tongan Waters. Proud of the Navy’s effort and hope the Govt impound boat and give them a massive fine.
Posted by Mounu Island Resort on Thursday, March 31, 2016
Air New Zealand’s anticipated Boeing 777-200 direct service to Tonga from Auckland has touched down at the Fuʻamotu International Airport today.
The airline has 8 Boeing 777-200ER’s in its fleet and each holds 304 passengers, 26 in Business Premier class, 36 in Pacific Premium Economy, and 242 in Pacific Economy.
The new flight service comes after Tonga Airport made a million upgrade to its Fuʻamotu International Airport resurfacing the runway to make sure the 777 could land.
Previously the biggest aircraft that could land at Fuʻamotu was the 767.
Sergeant Sanalio Kaihau of the New Zealand Police Waitemata District will be appointed to the role of District Pacific Liaison Coordinator next week.
In a statement Police said: “This is one of the successes for the Pasifika Peoples within NZ Police”.
“Sergeant Sanalio Kaihau is Tongan and I understand that this is the first time that a Tongan is appointed to this newly established role within NZ Police, Waitemataa District”, it said.
A ceremony to mark Kaihau’s promotion will be held at the Waitakere Police Station, 8 Buscomb Ave, Henderson, on Friday April 8, 2016 at 12.15pm – 2.00 pm
Parliamentary drivers and office cleaners will be paid more than highly qualified public servants under new guidelines from the kingdom’s Remuneration Authority, the Public Service Association claimed today.
In a statement sent to the media, the PSA claimed that the pay scales recommended by the Authority were unfair and worse than the ones that triggered a strike by the PSA in 2005.
However, the Remuneration Authority has hit back, describing the PSA’s press release as full of “gross falsehoods” and claiming that it had actually recommended cutting Parliamentary workers’ salaries.
The authority said it was legally required to be fair to public servants, private sector workers, the Ministries, Tongan taxpayers and taxpayers in countries which helped the government pay salaries.
The Authority conducted a review of PSA salaries under the direction of the Public Services Commission.
It issued two reports, one in June 2014 covering the PM, government ministers, judges, Members of Parliament, Police, members of the armed forces, prison and fire officers, all Public Enterprise CEOs, boards, commissions, authorities, tribunals and certain senior government executive positions and one in September 2015, covering all public servants in government ministries.
PSA Secretary General, Mele ‘Amanaki said her association “violently rejected” the Authorities recommendations because they were unfair.
“A driver ($27,046), security officer ($21,679), office cleaner ($21,679) and groundsman ($21,679) with no academic qualifications and minimal job responsibilities in Parliament have higher salaries than some of the positions in the Public Service with more job responsibilities for public servants who are Master’s, Bachelor’s and Diploma graduates, who earn between $10,000 – $26,000,” ‘Amanaki said.
She said that under the Authority’s proposal the salaries of Town and District Officers were still at the bottom of the scale.
“We are aware that the PSC, RA and the Hon. Minister of Finance are pushing for the RA Reports to be approved by Cabinet for implementation in July 2016 despite the submission by majority of the CEOs in the Public Service recommending for the reports to be deferred for proper consultations,” she said.
She said the review should be done again by properly trained staff
“We do not want to repeat what had happened in 2005,” ‘Amanaki said.
In a three page rebuttal, the Remuneration Authority said the PSA’s statements were false and misleading.
In a statement to the media, it said the reports were still with Cabinet and not yet been approved.
It said claims that Town and District Officer’s new salaries would be at the bottom of the scale were false and that it had actually recommended increasing payment to these officers because the nature and responsibilities of these roles had changed significantly since the last evaluation in 1982.
The Remuneration Authority said the nature and responsibilities of these positions had changed significantly since 1982 (when the last evaluation was done).
The Authority also denied that Ministry CEO’s were opposed to the recommendations.
“The majority of CEOs actually recommended further consultation to be provided to be more inclusive of all their staff before April 15, 2016,” the Authority said.
“In fact, subject to certain CEO conditions being met (including another nine percent cost of living allowance for public servants), they actually recommended the Remuneration Authority’s Reports, and recommendations be made effective from July 1, 2016.”
The PSA has issued a Notice of Employment Dispute over the issue.
The main points
The Japanese funded multi-purpose training centre for the Red Cross in Haʻapai has been launched Wednesday 30.
The ceremony comes after the Tongan government received TP $3.6 million pa’anga for purchasing of goods and sports equipment to support economic and social development activities.
The Red Cross Centre was built so it could withstand the impact of natural hazards in the future.
It replaced the previous building which was destroyed by Tropical Cyclone Ian in 2014.
Japanese Ambassador HE Mr Yukio Numata and Haʻapai Governor Moʻale Fīnau as well as Red Cross staff attended the ceremony.
Tonga’s Prison Department has graduated 10 new recruits at Huʻatolitoli Prison Academy on Wednesday 30.
The graduates were honoured after they completed a three-month recruitment training courses.
The graduation was the fifth after the training was conducted at Huʻatolitoli since the department was set up to operate on its own apart from the Ministry of Police and Fire Services.
Recruit Prison Officer Molitoni Mohuanga was named the top student.
He scooped a number of prizes in the “Outdoor Subjects” and three others.
Kulī Tonga was second to Mohuanga after he successfully got top marks on the “Indoor Subjects”.
Tonga is from Tongaleleka, Haʻapai, Kolofoʻou and Pahu, Tongatapu while Mohuanga comes from Maʻufanga and Vainī, Tongatapu.
Leimoni Teisoni, the Acting Commissioner of Prison presented the certificates to the prison officers and emphasized the importance of their roles.
“We are responsible for the safety of the prisoners as well as the community. It is of our role to make sure that we provide a safe environment for both prisoners and the public,” he said.
“This is the end of the training. Soon you will be out there in the field as prison officers, and you will face new challenges. I hope that what you have learned in your three months training will help you in overcoming those challenges and performing your job to the best of your abilities.”
Twenty five years ago this month about 2500 citizens marched to the Royal Palace in Nuku’alofa to ask the king not to legalise the sale of Tongan passports to foreigners.
On that day, March 8, 1991, many of the people were weeping as they peacefully approached the palace.
The Tongan government had sold 426 Tongan passports, many to Hong Kong Chinese worried about the impending communist takeover in 1997.
The people asked the king not to amend the constitution so as to legalise the sales, but the amendment went ahead after it was voted through Parliament by 15 vote to four.
Marching in the crowd that day were the kingdom’s current Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva and and two pro-democracy church leaders, the Late Dr Sione ʻAmanaki Havea of the Free Wesleyan Church and Late Bishop Patelesio Finau of the Catholic Church.
In a speech that Pohiva often quoted when he was campaigning for Parliament, Bishop Finau declared after the petitoners arrived at the palace office in Nukuʻalofa: “Today (midday) a darkness falls on Tonga.”
But it was also the day when the first glimmer of democracy was seen.
The amendment was felt to be one of the most embarrassing and wrongful acts in the history of modern Tonga. The country was under the absolute control of the monarchy and people were beginning to lose patience with the way the kingdom was run.
Pohiva declared at the time: “People are becoming increasingly aware that the government is trying to make easy money, to gamble, to use the country. …a privileged few in high places in government are using unlawful tactics and strategies for their personal benefit. They are milking the system for themselves. Most people feel the existing social system isn’t able to accommodate the needs, expectations and aspirations of the people.”
Protest begins
The march was the first peaceful protest to be staged in the kingdom by democratic activists and was part of thecampaign of Pohiva and his supporters to bring democracy to Tonga.
An emergency session of parliament was called on February 21, 1991 to amend the constitution after Pohiva launched a lawsuit against the government and the then police minister, claiming the passports should be declared invalid because the sales were unconstitutional and illegal.
Pohiva and two other commoner MPs walked out of Parliament during the debate over the proposal to change the constitution.
Withdrawl
On the advice of his legal counsel Dr Rodney Harrison Pohiva agreed on March 1 to withdraw his court case. Once
the constitution had been changed there was no way he could pursue it. Pohiva was awarded NZ$23,500 in costs.
The government’s move polarised the Tongan public and political discussions. However, the most significant outcome was that the protest became the binding force that kept Pohiva and his supporters together for decades until he became the most popular democratic politician elected to Parliament and eventually Prime Minister.
At the time of the protest the king was urged to cancel the citizenship given to the 426 foreigners and to sack the then Police Minister, ‘Akau’ola, who had accepted responsibility for the illegal sales of naturalisation certificates and passports.
The king reportedly told the government newspaper Kalonikali that to cancel the sales would be too heavy a burden for the country because of the fees that would be required to make it happen.
Two kinds of Tongan passport were sold to foreigners; Tonga Protected Persons Passports and the Tongan National Passport, which was issued to those who became naturalised citizens.
The “protected person” passport was created in 1983 as a travel document for non-Tongans who had difficulties travelling beyond their own national boundaries. They were sold for US$10,000 each.
This document however did not give people automatic right of residence in Tonga in the 1980s and countries such as Australia and New Zealand did not recognise their validity.
This led the king granting naturalisation to any foreigner of “good character on humanitarian grounds” in 1984. The naturalisation fee was US$20,000, but additional fees could take the price tag up to more than $35,000.
Chinese coming to Tonga
At the time the government keep telling the people not to worry as Chinese holders of Tongan passports would not come to Tonga.
However, in the mid 1990s Chinese started arriving in Tonga and establishing small businesses, mostly retail stores in the capital Nukuʻalofa.
Their businesses grew and spread to the countryside and the outer islands and now dominate most of the retails and wholesales businesses in the kingdom. The Chinese have expanded their business interests to farming and cropping.
Unfortunately, they have become the target of some Tongan extremists who have robbed their businesses and abuse them.
International criminals
Tongan passports were used to protect international criminals about 10 years before they were sold to Chinese buyers.
The criminals included American fraudster John Meier who was eventually arrested by US authorities in Canada and extradited to the United States in 1979 for fraud and obstruction of justice.
He was also indicted and arrested for tax evasion and was later detained in Australia. However, because he carried with a diplomatic passport issued by the Kingdom of Tonga the Australian authorities released him.
Meier became a very close friend of the Late King Tupou IV and he was heavily involved in the financing of infrastructure projects in Tonga.
According to the book Hot Money and The Politics of Debt by R.T. Naylor, Meier promised the king a new airport, aircraft assembly plants, luxury hotels and ship building industry. Meier got his Tongan Diplomatic Passport in return.
There was a huge clean-up at Tupou College property in 1980s on the side of Fu’amotu International Airport as part of Meier’s project. It was left unfinished and the historic part of the rainforest at the college was left a bare field.
Meier failed to deliver his promises to the king and while the US authorities pressured Tongan authorities to hand him over the Tongan government withdrew his bank license and diplomatic passport.
Philippine’s president
Imelda Marcos, wife of the former President of the Philippines, who went in exile in Hawaiʻi after he was charged with fraud and various corruption claims was one of the best-known foreigners to obtain a Tongan passport.
Former Hong Kong Stock Exchange chief, Ronald Li, who served a four-year jail term for bribery, and textile billionaire Chen Din-hwa were also reportedly among the Tongan passport holders.
The sale of passports netted US$26 million, all of which was lost when the Tonga Trust Fund was wiped out. The government filed lawsuits against several people, including Jesse Bogdonoff, who had been the government’s financial adviser and was appointed as the Late King Tupou IVʻs official royal jester. Bogdanoff settled his part of the law suit in 2004 without admitting liability. He now calls himself Jesse Dean and runs a hypnotism clinic in California.
Royal Commission
King Tupou VI, the current king of Tonga agreed in 2014 to establish a Royal Commission to investigate the Tongan passport scandal.
This would be a great step in piecing together all the details of what happened.
It is understood the Royal Commission has yet to begin its task, but a task force created by the Ministry of Police is currently investigating allegation and charges in relation to misuse of the Tongan passports.
Recently Police confiscated the Speaker of Parliament’ and former Prime Minister of Tonga Lord Tu’ivakano’s laptop as part of their passport scandal investigation. A former senior female police officer was also arrested and charged last month in relation to passport fraud.
In 2014, Tongan citizens holding Tongan passports had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 83 countries and territories.
In a ranking of the world’s 80 most powerful passports , the Tongan passport came in at number 50.
The main points
Hundreds are expected to gather for the ʻapō (wake) in honour of Mētui Fīnau on Friday 1 at Pulelaʻā Church in New Lynn at 7pm.
The 29-year-old Tongan musician and member of west Auckland band Spacifix died suddenly on March 24.
A coroner has yet to determine the cause of his death.
His wife Natasha Finau told Fairfax Media she was with Mētui at the time before he dies doing some fitness exercises.
“He was the life of the party, and he brought out the best in people. He wanted to celebrate whatever situation we found ourselves in, he was always looking on the bright side of life,” Natasha said.
A statement about his funeral said:
“It is with heavy hearts we notify friends and family our beloved Metui passed away suddenly on Thursday. Husband and Soulmate to Natasha, cherished son of Rev Viliami Finau and Tui’pulotu, adored brother and uncle.
“Metui will lay in state at his home in Flat Bush until Wednesday 30th March where, in the late evening, he will move to his family homestead in New Lynn.
“On Thursday 31st 7pm, an open service will take place at Pulela’a New Lynn Tongan Methodist Church, Margan Avenue, New Lynn.
It said the āpō will be followed by the funeral Service on Saturday April 2, 10am at Pulela’a, followed by the burial service at Waikumete Cemetery.
