Tongan Police have confirmed there was an incident this morning involving a man who allegedly jumped off cliff at Hufangalupe beach but declined to comment further.
Police Superindent at Nukuʻalofa Central Police Station Tevita Fifita told Kaniva News this morning he heard about the incident on their teleradio and told us to contact the Hahake Police Station as the case was within their juristiction.
An officer at Muʻa Police station said a team of police officers were still at the scene and declined to make any further comments.
The Prime Minister’s media advisor, Kalafi Moala, has launched a stinging attack on Chief Secretary and Secretary to Cabinet Dr Palenitina Langa’oi.
His attack came in the wake of allegations of nepotism made in his newspaper Taimi ‘O Tonga against Dr Langa’oi, which were subsequently denied by the government.
Moala, who has rowed with Dr Langa’oi over releasing e-mails discussing the Forbes magazine scandal, has a part time position with the Prime Minister’s Office Press Unit.
He claimed that Dr Langa’oi had suppressed 17 press releases he had prepared for the Press Unit.
He did not give any details of what were in the press releases, but said it appeared Dr Langa’oi misconceived how the media worked.
The Chief Secretary did not respond to our request to give her side of the story to Kaniva News.
Moala, who no longer involved with daily operation of his paper and now running his own local radio station, claimed that Dr Langa’oi should be dismissed.
He said Hon. Pohiva was trying to make the working of the government transparent, but the Prime Minister’s Office had “closed its doors.”
Moala claimed many questions from the media went unanswered because of Dr Langa’oi.
“The Chief Secretary strictly controls and monitors how information should be released, but she has done it the wrong way,” Moala said.
Moala said Dr Langa’oi called him to a meeting after he released internal e-mails regarding the Forbes saga to Kaniva News. Moala had accused the Finance Minister of being responsible for signing the controversial contract with the magazine.
The e-mails were released by Moala to Kaniva News at the request of the magazine’s editor.
According to Moala, Dr Langa’oi told him he should not have released the e-mails as they were confidential.
Moala asked how the e-mails could be confidential when they had been sent to certain senior officials and copied to others.
Her “perception” about how the media work was wrong, Moala said.
Many questions from the media were left unanswered because they ended up with the Chief Secretary without Hon. Pohiva knowing about them, he claimed.
Moala alleged Dr Langa’oi had withheld most of their press releases and had refused to answer questions about travel expenses incurred by senior government officials.
He accused her of using procedures and administrative processes from the days of monarchical government.
“She is now the only person who advises and consult with the Prime Minister,” Moala said.
Yesterday the Prime Minister’s Office released a statement denying allegations in an article published by Moala’s Taimi ‘O Tonga newspaper.
The paper published an article alleging that there was grumbling among staff at the Ministry of Internal Affairs after they found out a former government officer, Nūnia Mone, who was now living in New Zealand, had been picked by the Prime Minister to become Trade Commissioner for Tonga in New Zealand.
The paper said the former officer was a friend of Dr Langa’oi and the cabinet was in the process of moving to pass the appointment.
The government press release denied the allegations in the article, saying Dr Langa’oi and Mone were not friends and that the Prime Minister had not appointed anybody to such a position.
Taimi ‘O Tonga editor Sione Taukapo told Kaniva News he would not release the names of those in the Ministry of Internal Affairs who gave him the information.
Taukapo said the article was meant to publicly raise the issue before the appointment was passed by Cabinet.
He said the staff at the Ministry were happy the government had not gone ahead with the appointment as they questioned Mrs Mone’s qualifications to hold such an important post.
The main points
The Prime Minister’s media advisor, Kalafi Moala, has launched a stinging attack on Chief Secretary and Secretary to Cabinet Dr Palenitina Langa’oi.
Moala’s attack came in the wake of allegations of nepotism made in his newspaper Taimi ‘O Tonga against Dr Langa’oi, which were subsequently denied by the government.
He claimed that Dr Langa’oi had suppressed 17 press releases he had prepared for the Press Unit.
The Chief Secretary did not respond to our request to give her side of the story to Kaniva News.
Tongan Police are hunting for a man who wore a hoodie covering his face while threatening an employee at a service station in Puke with a knife.
The incident took place last Friday 20 and the man escaped with about TP$500 of cash.
The owner of the service station Tevita Tuʻipulotu reportedly said the suspect confronted him with what he claimed as a knife while he was inside the service station office at about 9pm.
Tuʻipulotu said he yelled out at the suspect “robber, robber” before he took off.
The man was able to reach out to a wallet and the till and took the money.
Tonga’s Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pōhiva has pulled out of crucial international meetings due to his ill health.
The Prime Minister was invited to attend three separate meetings:
The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Malta from November 24-29.
The 4th France-Oceania Summit in Paris, France on November 26.
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris, France on November 30 – December 11.
Last week the Prime Minister’s office announced Hon Pohiva was in Auckland for a medical check-up.
“The Honourable Prime Minister Samuela ‘Akilisi Pohiva was officially invited to attend all three events but due to the results of his medical check-up last week, he has sent his regrets that he is not able to travel such long distance”, the Prime Minister’s Office said.
Statement from the Prime Minister’s Office:
Government of Tonga leaders and representatives will be amongst other regional and national leaders as they participate in dialogue and negotiations at three separate meetings. The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) will take place in Malta from 24th to 29th November; the 4th France-Oceania Summit will take place in Paris, France on the 26th November; and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will take place in Paris, France on 30th November to 11 December 2015.
The Honourable Prime Minister Samuela ‘Akilisi Pohiva was officially invited to attend all three events but due to the results of his medical check-up last week, he has sent his regrets that he is not able to travel such long distance.
The Honourable Minister for Agriculture, Food, Forestry & Fisheries Semisi Fakahau, will lead the Tonga Government Delegation to the CHOGM meeting in Malta. The theme for this year’s meeting is ‘The Commonwealth – Adding Global Value’ which highlights significant impact the Commonwealth has in providing solutions for small and developing states. Hon. Minister Fakahau will be accompanied by Secretary for Foreign Affairs Mr. Va’inga Tone.
The Chief Secretary & Secretary to Cabinet Dr. Palenitina Langa’oi leads Tonga’s delegation to the 4thFrance-Oceania Summit in Paris. This Summit will bring together the Republic of France and Forum countries to dialogue about current political and security, economic, environmental, social and development issues. It will also be an opportunity for Members to reaffirm agreed partnership positions across all areas of interest with France. Tonga’s Permanent Ambassador to the UN, Mr. Mahe Tupouniua and Legal Officer from the Prime Minister’s Office, Ms. ‘Elisapeta Lemoto are members of this delegation and will later join the CHOGM meeting and UNFCCC meeting.
The Honourable Deputy Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni will lead Tonga’s delegation to the UNFCCC, in particular, the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP 21) and the 11th session of the Meeting of the Parties (CMP 11) to the Kyoto Protocol. He will arrive in Paris on the 2nd of December and will deliver Tonga’s National statement at the High Level Segment on the 7th of December. The objective of this conference is to achieve a legally binding and universal agreement on climate change. CEO MEIDECC Mr. Paula Ma’u, CEO Finance Mr. Tatafu Moeaki, Solicitor General Mr. Sione Sisifa and relevant government representatives are members of the delegation and will be in Paris this week to be part of important negotiations at this conference.
Lokoua Taufahema (left) was found not guilty Monday of killing his wife, Halaevalu Laionosi Taufahema (right), in 2014
A jury in Nuku’alofa has found a Tongatapu man on Monday 23 not guilty of murder but guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter of his wife Halaevalu Laionosi Taumoe’anga Taufahema.
Lokoua Taufahema, 43, pleaded guilty to his charge for manslaughter but he declared a not-guilty plea in March for his charge of murdering the victim. He will be sentenced by Justice Charles Cato on December 18.
The jury heard a post modem examination found Halaevalu died after her body was doused with boiling cooking oil sometimes in December 26, 2014 before she was rushed to hospital by relatives. Prosecutors accused Lokoua scalded his wife with the hot-boiling cooking oil while she was asleep.
The Tongan constitution does not allow His Majesty King Tupou VI to sack Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pōhiva as Minister of Education and Training without asking his advice, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
The Prime Minister’s Office issued the statement in the wake of an attempt by former Education Minister Dr ‘Ana Taufe’ulungaki and former CEO Emily Pouvalu to persuade His Majesty to remove Hon. Pohiva from his role as Education Minister.
Taufe’ulungaki and Pouvalu led a group who presented a petition to the Palace Office in Nuku’alofa last month calling on His Majesty to revoke Hon. Pohiva’s ministerial appointment and that of acting Minister Hon. Etuate Lavulavu.
The Prime Minister’s Office advised them to take their grievance to the Office of the Ombudsman.
Pouvalu was quoted by local media as saying there was “a clause in the Constitution that talks about how the King can revoke the appointment of a minister on the grounds that he is ineligible for the role – so that’s the ground we are standing on.”
Pouvalu claimed there was evidence Pohiva did not uphold the rule of law and said that some staff at the Ministry were not confident in working under his ministership.
In response, Hon. Pohiva called on Taufe’ulungaki and Pouvalu to let him do his job as Minister of Education and said their time was over.
Hon. Pohiva said there were complaints by parents about the marks received by students who sat national examinations while Pouvalu and Taufe’ulungaki were leaders of the Ministry of Education.
He said they could not resolve the issue, leaving it unresolved until he was appointed as the minister.
The Prime Minister said the first step to resolve the problem was to change the marking system for student exams from using standardisation to raw marks using a software developed by Tongan computer programmer Piveni Piukala.
It has been revealed that Dr Taufe’ulungaki and Pouvalu agreed in 2014 to hire the local office of Indian-based company Triesten Technologies to upgrade the Ministry of Education’s computer assessment programme.
Hon. Pohiva said he was not aware of the deal before he hired Piukala.
What the Prime Minister’s Office said:
“With reference to a petition submitted to His Majesty The King to remove the Minister of Education & Training, Hon. Samuela ‘Akilisi Pohiva and the Acting Minister of Education & Training, Hon. ‘Etuate Lavulavu, on 20 October, 2015, the Prime Minister’s Office wishes to inform the petitioners that His Majesty is not empowered in law to require the Minister to divest himself of the Education & Training portfolio as the Sovereign must act on the advice of the Prime Minister in the appointment of members of the Legislative Assembly to ministerial office or in respect of the Minister’s removal from office.”
The main points
The Tongan constitution does not allow His Majesty King Tupou VI to sack Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pōhiva as Minister of Education and Training without asking his advice, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
The Prime Minister’s Office issued the statement in the wake of an attempt by former Education Minister Dr ‘Ana Taufe’ulungaki and former CEO Emily Pouvalu to persuade His Majesty to remove Hon. Pohiva from his role as Education Minister.
Taufe’ulungaki and Pouvalu presented a petition to the Palace Office in Nuku’alofa last month calling on His Majesty to revoke Hon. Pohiva’s ministerial appointment and that of acting Minister Hon Etuate Lavulavu.
The Prime Minister’s Office advised them to take their grievance to the Office of the Ombudsman.
A public memorial service is set to take place at Eden Park next Monday afternoon for Jonah Lomu who died on Wednesday, Prime Minister John Key has announced.
Key said the service will be held on November 30 from 1pm to 3pm.
“Jonah touched people’s lives across the country and around the world,” Key said.
“This service will be open to all members of the public who want to remember the significant contribution Jonah made, not only to rugby here and overseas, but also to the wider community through his work with charities such as UNICEF and Kidney Kids NZ.
“The service will be a celebration of Jonah’s life and I expect a large number of people will want to be there.”
Key also announced a special event at the Vodafone Events Centre in Manukau for the Pacific community to pay their respects in a traditional manner.
A private funeral for Lomu will be held on December 1.
A sombre religious service in memory of Jonah Lomu in Mangere this evening started with a prayer in which the presiding Rev Tevita Finau expressed his grief over the superstar’s death and told the congregation that God has taken the “maeakafa” from them.
The use of the poetical term was unusual, even though it was not culturally prohibited, as it can only be used publicly to refer to the Late King Tupou I of Tonga to denote his exceptional wisdom, size, strength and success in freeing commoners from the rule of the monarchy and nobility and uniting Tongans under his leadership.
The service was held at Lotofaleʻia Tongan Methodist Church, where Lomu worshipped when he was young.
The memorial service was the first to be conducted since Lomu died on November 18.
As people sat in silence in the church, the service began with hymn 391 from the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga hymnal, ‘Oku ‘i ai ha ki’i fonua.
Many people in the congregation began to cry as Lomu’s mother Hepisipa and her family were invited to the front of the church to light the candles.
Jonah Lomu’s mum, Hepisipa whom most of the speakers, paid tribute to her during the ceremony. Photo/Kaniva Pacific News/ Kalino Latu
More other people were also invited to the front to light candles.
Thousands of Tongans and people from other Pacific Islands attended, including the Minister for Pacific Island Affairs, Sam Lotu Iga, MP for Mangere Sua, William Sio, and the Tongan MP for Manaukau East, Jenny Latu Salesa and the Cook Islands General Consulate, Her Excellency Mrs. Rossie Blake and Tuvalu Community Leader Fala Haurangi as well as Vijendra Prasad, the Fijian/Indian Community Leader.
Tongan dignitaries, local community board members, members of parliament and friends and family gathered at the church to remember the rugby legend on Sunday. Photo/Kalino Latu/Kaniva Pacific News
Church leaders who attended included Rev. Leomaisini Lea, Former Free Wesleyan Church President ‘Alifeleti Mone and Rev. Sekope ‘Uhila.
All speeches made during the service paid special tribute to Lomu’s mother for her attendance and for the loss of her son.
Hon. Iga told the audience there “will be no more Jonah Lomus” on the rugby field.
Former All Black ‘Isitolo Maka lights candles during the memorial service for Jonah Lomu. Photo/Kalino Latu/ Kaniva Pacific News
Sioeli Motu’apuaka, one of the Tongan community’s leaders in New Zealand, spoke on behalf of Lomu’s paternal side.
He said people from Lomu’s maternal side always compared Lomu’s success to his maternal uncle Peni Kiole of Holopeka. Kiole played prop for Tonga’s national rugby team and he was locally famous in his times because of his size and toughness in the rugby field, just like Lomu.
But Motu’apuaka told the congregation Lomu’s talent came from his paternal side from the village of Te’ekiu in Tongatapu where his father’s mother came from. This was met with an applause and laughter mid-way through.
Hon. Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga told the church of seeing Lomu not long before his death and he was shock when he heard about the news. Photo/Kalino Latu/Kaniva Pacific News
He said Te’ekiu’s rugby team once won the national championship while one of Lomu’s great uncles who were rugby players, Tevita Sitani played prop for the team.
MP Sua William Sio said Lomu might have made millions from his talents after he proved to be a rugby superstar.
Sio said one of his nephews once had his eyebrows shaved in the shape of the number 11 on Lomu’s jersey.
“I said Jonah probably got $1 million for that, but I think your mum is going to smack you,” Sio said to much applause and laughter.
Service organiser Salote Heleta-Lilo spoke about Jonah and said “You have taught our children to dream and to believe the non achievable, achievable indeed.” Photo/Kalino Latu/Kaniva Pacific News
Former Wesleyan President Rev. Alifeleti Mone from the Free Weslyan Church thanked everyone for attending.
“God bless you all,” he said. “Thank you very much.”
Rev. Mone, who served as Superintend of the Auckland-Manukau Wesleyan community from 1988 – 94, said Lomu’s sister asked him to celebrate her wedding.
Tongans were wearing ta’ovala and watch in silence while speakers delivered their speeches. Photo/Kalino Latu/Kaniva Pacific News
After getting permission from the Lotofale’ia Methodist church pastor Rev Mone officiated at the service. He said Lomu signed as father for his sister’s wedding on behalf of their late father Semisi Lomu.
Rev. Mone said he believed Lomu had lived his life according to what he learned by heart from the Bible and that was why he was greatly successful.
Drawing a link between Lomu’s sporting abilities and his faith, Rev. Mone quoted 2 Timothy, verses 4-7: “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.”
Here is the order of speakers for tonight’s service:
1. Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga, Minister of Pacific Island Affairs
2. Former President of Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga, Dr Rev ‘Alifaleti Mone
3. Tongan Community Leader, Sioeli Motu’apuaka.
4. Su’a William Sio, MP for Mangere
5. Mrs Rosie Blake, Cook Islands General Consulate.
6. Vijendra Prasad, Fijian-Indian community leader.
7. Fala Haurangi, Tuvalu community leader.
8. Sinipata Kaufononga, a childhood friend of Lomu.
9. Nalesoni Tupou, Barrister
The main points
A sombre religious service in memory of Jonah Lomu in Mangere this evening started with a prayer in which the presiding Rev Tevita Finau told the audience that God has taken the “maeakafa” from them.
The service was held at Lotofalei’a Tongan Methodist Church this, where Lomu worshipped when he was young.
Many people in the congregation began to cry as Lomu’s mother Hepisipa and her family were invited to the front of the church to light the candles.
Minister for Pacific Island Affairs, Sam Lotu Iga told the congregation” “There will be no more Jonah Lomus” on the rugby field.
Locals at the beach before divers recovered the body of the deceased. Photo/ʻIlaisaane Taumoepeau Matau (Facebook).
Local divers have recovered a body at Fatumu beach last night believed to be that of the 32-year-old man who was reported missing in the area earlier during the day.
Police have yet to identify and confirm the deceased but photos uploaded to Facebook this morning which purported to share the tragic incident showed locals, police and divers were at the beach while a body was laid in a white sheet in the sand.
ʻIlaisaane Taumoepeau Mataʻu wrote on Facebook and said her brother Salesi Tapui, Rev Taufoʻou Fusikata and a man from Haʻasini by the name Angai were divers who found the body.
