The controversial US$6.25 million purchase of Lulutai Airlines’ Twin Otter — a deal that stunned Parliament after it was revealed by the media, was subsequently surrounded by allegations of secrecy, drew serious concerns over its price and due diligence, and was followed by substantial maintenance-related problems — has taken another troubling turn.

Prime Minister Lord Fakafanua has revealed that the aircraft is struggling to make a profit, partly because the weight of Tongan passengers can restrict the number of people it is able to carry on some flights.

Fakafanua made the revelation at a press briefing yesterday afternoon as he outlined problems his government had identified with the aircraft, purchased by the former Huʻakavameiliku government, and Lulutai’s continuing struggle to operate profitably.

Fakafanua said passenger weight meant all 19 seats could not be filled, with only around 12 passengers able to be carried. This left the airline with the choice of reducing passenger numbers or cutting other loads carried on the aircraft.

The revelation follows earlier complaints — and at times public ridicule — over the aircraft, with critics asking whether this was a brand new or a second hand aircraft, and whether the Twin Otter had been properly assessed for its suitability for Tonga before it was purchased.

Shortly after the aircraft arrived in Tonga, Kaniva News saw livestreamed videos shared on Facebook from inside the Twin Otter in which passengers complained that the seats were too small, with some adults appearing to need two adjoining seats to sit comfortably.

Engine replacement deepens purchase concerns

Concerns over the purchase intensified after the Huʻakavameiliku government resigned, with incoming Public Enterprises Minister Paula Piveni Piukala saying he believed proper due diligence had not been carried out.

He indicated that he had found no record of a feasibility study assessing whether the aircraft would be commercially viable or become a financial burden on the country.

After discovering that both engines were due for replacement barely a year after the aircraft was purchased, Piukala considered seeking the King’s consent to establish a Royal Commission to investigate the controversial deal.

When Kaniva News broke the news of the purchase in August 2023, some MPs were stunned and questioned then Prime Minister Huʻakavameiliku in Parliament about whether the report was correct. He confirmed that the aircraft had been purchased.

The disclosure triggered heated debate in the House, with several MPs claiming the aircraft purchase had not been provided for in the Budget — a claim Huʻakavameiliku strongly disputed, insisting that it had been included.

The controversy became one of the central issues in the 2023 vote of no confidence against Huʻakavameiliku, which he ultimately survived, before resigning amid a second no-confidence motion the following year.

Australian funding fuels controversy

The 2023 motion, led by his premiership rival Dr ʻAisake Eke, also raised questions over US$2 million in Australian Government funding that was used to help finance the aircraft.

The Huʻakavameiliku government maintained that the Australian funding was intended for the Twin Otter purchase.

The Opposition, however, presented a letter from the Australian High Commissioner in Tonga which it said confirmed that the money had been provided to Tonga as budget support rather than specifically to purchase the aircraft.

Experts question aircraft purchase,

As controversy over the purchase intensified, Kaniva News spoke to aviation experts who raised concerns about the aircraft. Some said it had allegedly been grounded in China from 2018 until 2023 and warned that certain aircraft components must be replaced according to calendar time, regardless of whether the aircraft is flying.

One expert questioned why the purchase price had been paid in full while the aircraft remained in China and said Tonga should have conducted its own inspection to ensure the aircraft met the safety requirements applicable in the Kingdom.

Problems continued after the aircraft arrived in Tonga. About four months later, it was grounded after damage to a computer sensor forming part of its Air Data Attitude Heading and Reference System.

By February 2025, the Twin Otter had undergone repeated maintenance groundings, while the Government was confronting the multimillion-dollar cost associated with replacing its engines.

The Twin Otter was also financed with TOP$10 million (US$4.2 million) from Tonga’s Retirement Fund Board — comprising a TOP$6 million (US$2.5 million) loan and a TOP$4 million (US$1.7 million) equity investment — according to the Government’s own Budget Strategy FY2025.

The TOP$6 million loan is guaranteed by the Government. Former Prime Minister Dr ʻAisake Eke previously told Kaniva News that while the guarantee provided security for the Retirement Fund, it transferred the financial risk to the Government.

He warned that if Lulutai failed to repay the loan, the Government would have to find the money elsewhere in its budget — potentially leaving taxpayers to ultimately bear the cost of the guarantee.

Teau ʻi Moʻunga Faletau, 43, was sentenced by Lord Chief Justice Malcolm Bishop KC after being convicted of arranging the transportation of 5,846.98 grams of methamphetamine through an airline baggage handler.

Because the amount exceeded 5,000 grams, Tonga’s Illicit Drugs Control Act required life imprisonment.

The Chief Justice clarified that life imprisonment was not simply the maximum penalty available — it was the only sentence permitted by law for the offence.

Faletau had approached ʻOfisi Ake, with whom he had developed a friendship, seeking his assistance as a baggage handler to get the methamphetamine onto an aircraft bound for New Zealand while avoiding detection, the court found.

However, Bishop said there was no evidence Faletau had previously been involved in drug dealing or was the mastermind of an international criminal organisation.

He described Faletau as not particularly sophisticated and found that he had apparently taken an opportunity to make easy money despite owning a successful business.

The judge also noted Faletau had provided employment in the community and had previously shown bravery while attempting to rescue the late Makisi Tonga when official assistance was unavailable.

While imposing the mandatory sentence, Bishop made an important clarification about what life imprisonment means under Tongan law.

He found that a life sentence without any possibility of future review or mitigation would be unlawful in Tonga.

Under the Constitution, the King, with the consent of the Privy Council, may pardon a convicted person or remit or reduce a sentence.

Tonga’s Prison Rules also provide for life sentences to be considered on their merits after periods including 10, 15 and 20 years, although such reviews do not guarantee release or a reduction.

Faletau’s life sentence was backdated to when he was first remanded in custody, while the court ordered the methamphetamine destroyed.

Co-defendant Mafi Fatongiatau Lutui was acquitted of a similar charge in the case.

Source: Matangi Tonga

Tributes are pouring in for National Reserve Bank of Tonga staff member Senolita Lutui, remembered by friends, relatives and business operators for helping people navigate the Bank’s requirements to establish small financing businesses.

Lutui apparently died from a heart-related condition, her sister in law Michelle Anne told Kaniva News.

She leaves behind four children, the eldest aged just 16 and the youngest six.

Lutui’s death has prompted an outpouring of grief on social media, with people recalling both her professional assistance and her dedication to her family.

She has been described as a hardworking and devoted mother who balanced her responsibilities at the Reserve Bank with efforts to earn additional income for her family.

After finishing her daytime work at the Bank, she would help run the family’s homemade pie business at night, preparing pies for sale, Michelle said.

Her role at the Reserve Bank brought her into contact with people seeking to establish small financing businesses that required registration, licensing or other authorisation from the Bank.

One business operator remembered Lutui for patiently helping people understand and meet the Reserve Bank requirements for establishing and operating such businesses.

“We had never met or known each other before, but when I came to register my business, you were so welcoming and eager to help,” one commenter wrote.

Another tribute recalled how she provided guidance through the process of seeking the necessary authorisation, making what could be a difficult regulatory process easier to understand.

“Even after hours, you called to check on my progress with the requirements I needed to complete for the registration. What an amazing woman you were,” another commenter wrote.

Michelle said Lutui’s death had been particularly heartbreaking because they were very close. Their family bond was further strengthened when Lutui’s eldest daughter was adopted under the Tongan practice of ohi by Michelle’s parents.

“She did not want her children to go hungry, which was why she worked day and night,” Michelle told Kaniva News.

Her death has been particularly heartbreaking for relatives and friends because of the young family she leaves behind.

The man who fatally stabbed Tongan rugby league player Sitaleki “Leki” Filihiahekava outside a Sydney fast-food restaurant has been sentenced to more than eight years in prison.

Jacob Tammer-Spence, 33, pleaded guilty to manslaughter over the September 2024 killing of the 32-year-old outside Guzman y Gomez in Marrickville.

The NSW Supreme Court heard the confrontation between the two men lasted only about 30 seconds before Tammer-Spence stabbed Filihiahekava.

Tammer-Spence claimed he feared for his life after Filihiahekava accused him of involvement in an earlier barbershop shooting and allegedly threatened him.

However, Justice Richard Cavanagh said Tammer-Spence did not see a gun, and no firearm was found on Filihiahekava.

Tammer-Spence accepted that he had acted excessively when he swung the knife and took responsibility for causing Filihiahekava’s death.

Justice Cavanagh said the tragedy highlighted the danger of people carrying knives in public and questioned why Tammer-Spence had taken one while going to buy takeaway food.

The court took into account Tammer-Spence’s criminal history, disadvantaged background, post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental-health issues.

He was sentenced to a maximum of eight years and three months in prison and, with time already served, will be eligible for parole in April 2030.

Members of Filihiahekava’s family wiped away tears as the sentence was delivered.

The family previously described the killing as “senseless”, saying the loss of their much-loved son, brother and grandchild had affected every part of their lives.

Source: 7NEWS/AAP

Several fire trucks were seen lining Taufaʻahau Road in central Nukuʻalofa this afternoon following reports of an apparent fire in the capital.

A video shared with Kaniva News shows multiple Tonga Fire and Emergency Services vehicles positioned along the busy main road as people gathered nearby.

The news comes just hours after we reported a fatal house fire in Tatakamotonga this morning.

Initial reports received by Kaniva indicated that the emergency appeared to involve the area around the MBf Bank building on Taufaʻahau Road.

However, information available at this stage remains limited, and Kaniva has not independently confirmed the exact building or premises where the reported fire started.

Reports from the scene indicated that firefighters appeared to have brought the situation under control relatively quickly.

The video did not show a major blaze from the position where it was filmed, although the number of emergency vehicles suggested a significant response.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or the extent of any damage.

Kaniva News is seeking further information from authorities and will update the story as more details become available.

Three Tongan men, including a 28-year-old seasonal worker, have undergone cardiac procedures in Fiji after blocked arteries were discovered, highlighting the serious burden of heart disease facing Tonga.

The patients — Manase Likiliki, 40, Sione Aleamotua, 28, and Sio Lino, 45 — travelled to Fiji for treatment at Pacific Specialist Healthcare (PSH Hospitals) in Nadi.

The treatment of the relatively young men comes against the backdrop of Tonga’s severe NCD crisis.

Tonga has one of the highest obesity rates in the world, while non-communicable diseases account for about 83 percent of deaths in the Kingdom.

Tonga told the World Health Assembly that cardiovascular disease alone accounts for 29 percent of deaths and that almost half of NCD deaths occur before the age of 70. The country’s 2017 STEPS survey also found that 99.9 percent of Tongans were exposed to behavioural risk factors for developing an NCD.

Global Obesity Observatory figures currently rank Tonga fifth in the world for adult obesity, while Tongan women have the highest estimated obesity prevalence globally.

The trio’s treatment was funded by the Tongan Government after doctors at Vaiola Hospital determined that they required cardiac services unavailable in Tonga.

Aleamotua, who received a stent after doctors discovered a blocked artery, urged Tongans not to delay seeking medical attention when experiencing chest pain.

“If you have chest pain, don’t delay — go to the hospital straight away,” he said.

Likiliki, a construction worker, said he suddenly experienced severe chest pain while working and immediately sought medical attention.

He subsequently underwent angiography and angioplasty and had two stents inserted.

Likiliki thanked the Tongan Government for funding his treatment and praised the care he received from medical staff in Fiji.

Lino, a graphic designer and print-shop operator, had experienced pain for about seven months before travelling to Fiji after being placed on a waiting list.

He also underwent treatment for a blocked artery and received one stent.

The Tongan group is accompanied by Dr Annalisa Faanunu, a Vaiola Hospital medical officer specialising in internal medicine.

Source: Shalendra Prasad / Media Association of Tonga