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Man who tracked down and shot assailant after night club fight sentenced to 33 months

By
Kaniva Staff
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This image if for illustration purpose only

The Supreme Court has sentenced a man to 33 months in prison for a shooting that stemmed from a fight in a night club.

Justice Niu, presiding, sentenced Timote ‘Aho’atu for causing grievous bodily harm to Siaosi Na’a when he shot him with a pistol, injuring his right arm and chest.

Na’a gave evidence that two months before the shooting he and ‘Aho’atu had a fight in a night club on Vuna Rd.

Na’a told the court he hit ‘Aho’atu  and this was why he sought him out and shot him with a pistol.

The incident occurred at Havelu on July 5, 2021.

The court was told that ‘Aho’atu  went to the home of one Kemio Sika at Havelu where Na’a was and shot him in his right arm. The bullet travelled through his chest and lodged on the left wall of the chest. The bullet is still there.

The bullet missed the heart, lungs and major blood vessels and Na’a was discharged from hospital five days later.

‘Aho’atu admitted to the offence when he was arrested.

He told the police he threw the pistol into the sea at the Faua Wharf. Police were unable to find the weapon. ‘Aho’atu  had no previous conviction, but had been deported from Australia for domestic violence in 2016.

In his summing up, Justice Niu said ‘Aho’atu  had apologised to his victim and given him food and TP$200. The court was told Na’a had forgiven him and asked that he not be penalised.

In sentencing ‘Aho’atu, Judge Niu said he had completely disregarded the law.

“The law required you to complain to the police if you felt that the victim had unfairly and unlawfully done you wrong,” the judge said.

“That law prohibits you from punishing, or killing the person who has wronged you. If there was no such law then there would be lawlessness. There would be no law and order and there would be no freedom.

“Your sentence must reflect the complete rejection and condemnation by society of what you have done and the upholding of the law.”

The judge said the accused must take a course in anger management to avoid any repeat of the offence.

“It is clear that you had committed domestic violence overseas and had been sent back here because of your inability to control your temper,” the judge told ‘Aho’atu.

However, the judge said his sentence would be mitigated  because he had shown he remorseful. He had apologised to the victim and pleaded guilty. He had co-operated with the police and demonstrated he would rehabilitate yourself.

‘Aho’atu was sentenced for causing grievous bodily harm, to two years and nine months imprisonment, a total of 33 months.

The final 18 months were to be suspended for a period of two years from the date of his release on condition that he lived and worked where the Probation Officer directed and did not commit an offence punishable by imprisonment during the period of suspension.

Samoa covid testing reveals huge positive numbers

By
Kaniva Staff
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Photo: 123rf.com

The number of Covid -19 cases in Samoa has climbed to 196.

This included 15 imported cases and 85 people who tested positive on Sunday.

Eleven people are reported to be in isolation at Moto’otua Hospital.

The first case of community transmission was identified on Thursday and since then the Ministry of Health has carried 2,207 tests at six Covid-19 screening sites in addition to tests conducted in health facilities.

The screening site at the Red Cross headquarters at Tuanaimato in Apia has so far recorded 47% of the positive cases.

The prime minister has visited all district hospitals with members of Cabinet as Samoa deals with the rapid spread.

Fiame Naomi Mata’afa thanked staff urged them to reach out if they encounter any issues.

Fiame said the visit to hospitals at Lufilufi, Lalomanu, Poutasi, Sa’anapu, Faleolo and Leulumoega were to see first hand whether they are well prepared.

She said “the key word is access for the public” to local facilities so they avoid going to the national hospital in Apia “which is already congested.”

Covid’s spread in some other parts of the Pacific:

Kiribati

Kiribati recorded 19 new Covid-19 cases over the weekend, bringing the total number of people who have tested positive for the Omicron variant to 3,061.

The health ministry reports 2,510 people or 82 percent of those who were infected have fully recovered.

The Government has extended its curfew by another two weeks – ending on the first of April – to reduce the spread of community transmissions.

But it said the lockdown restrictions could be further increased “should the need arise”, as authorities are anticipating a second wave of Covid-19.

Meanwhile, there have been 13 confirmed deaths due to coronavirus in Kiribati.

Cook Islands

The Cook Islands is now reporting 490 active cases of Covid-19, with 247 people having recovered.

While no one has been hospitalised to date, the Prime Minister Mark Brown said it’s vital people realise how vulnerable the country’s elderly population and the unvaccinated are.

Vanuatu

Vanuatu has confirmed 150 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 as of midday on 18 March.

There were 146 positive infections recorded on Efate Island and another four on Santo Island.

The health ministry said there are 649 active cases in the community, with two people hospitalised and needing medical treatment.

Schools closed, residents urged to take shelter as wild weather batters North Island

By
Kaniva Staff
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By RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission

Several Auckland schools have closed and residents in Northland and Auckland are urged to take shelter as a severe thunderstorm and heavy rain travels down the North Island.

MetService has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the areas of Kaipara, Far North, Whangārei and Rodney.

A severe thunderstorm watch is already in force for Northland, Auckland, Great Barrier Island and the Coromandel Peninsula.

More than 4000 lightning strikes were recorded in the Auckland and lower Northland regions, with more than 700 in the space of five minutes earlier this morning.

The National Emergency Management Agency is urging people to take shelter inside, away from windows as the weather hits early this morning.

Meanwhile, five people are missing and a significant search and rescue operation is under way off the North Cape at the top of the North Island.

Three bodies found, two people still missing in search and rescue operation off North Cape

By
Kaniva Staff
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By RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission

Three bodies have been found in a search and rescue operation off North Cape at the top of the North Island.No caption

Photo: NZ Topo Map

Police say two people remain missing.

Five people have been rescued after a vessel activated its beacon at 8pm last night.

Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter trust said they were asked to join the search and rescue of a sunken vessel approximately 200 metres off North Cape.

A marine traffic website shows a fishing boat in the area.

A trust spokesperson said five people have been rescued.

They were winched off the boat to safety and are now in Kaitaia Hospital in a stable condition.

Search and Rescue said 300 square nautical miles off the North Cape is being scoured for the missing crew members.

Rescue Coordination Centre officer Nick Burt told Nine to Noon a Defence Force P3 Orion and a naval vessel are part of the search.

He said he believes the ship in distress is a charter vessel.

Burt said police have interviewed those who were rescued, and they have provided some useful information.

Bad weather is making the search dangerous but it has eased slightly.

Burt said it is unclear if the emergency locator beacon that was activated is on the vessel or with any survivors in the water.

Maritime New Zealand which is leading the operation said helicopters are assisting search vessels and police are searching on the ground near Te Pua in the Far North.

The Northland Coastguard says an Airforce P3 Orion is also on the way.

The Coastguard were also asked to respond but said conditions were too dangerous.

The Defence Force and the Whangārei rescue helicopter have been involved.

MetService has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the areas of Kaipara, Far North, Whangārei and Rodney.

A severe thunderstorm watch is already in force for Northland, Auckland, Great Barrier Island and the Coromandel Peninsula.The police Eagle helicopter.

Helicopters are assisting in a major search and rescue operation in Northland. Photo: RNZ / Dom Thomas

Brawl breaks out at Tonga tsunami fundraiser in Sydney’s West

By
Kaniva Staff
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By Romy Gilbert, 9News.com.au

A 26-year-old man is in an induced coma at Westmead Hospital after a violent brawl broke out at a fundraiser event in Lidcombe in Sydney’s West.

The fight, which involved more than 100 people, started near the community centre around midnight and moved onto Lidcombe’s Bridge Street.

The riot squad was called in to break up the crowd, which had gathered for a Tonga tsunami recovery fundraiser.

A man is in coma after brawl at Sydney tsunami fundraiser (Nine)

Police say bottles, fists and logs were used as weapons.

“When police arrived at the scene it was quite chaotic,” Detective Inspector Karl Leis, said.”

There were a number of people who had engaged in fights at the scene.

“We’re not suggesting all the people there were involved in a melee.”

Police, who said they were unaware of the large fundraiser, issued a warning.

“We have a situation now where a 26-year-old is in a critical condition in hospital,” Inspector Leis, said.

“If people are heading out for a night, take personal responsibility because there can be life-changing consequences.”

A 22-year-old Regents Park man with an outstanding warrant was arrested and refused bail, while a 31-year-old was fined for offensive conduct.

Investigations are ongoing.

Tonga to go into new nationwide lockdown as Covid cases climb

By
Kaniva Staff
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New Covid cases have climbed in Tonga forcing the nation to go into another lockdown for a week starting this Saturday 19 at 8pm, a government spokesperson told Kaniva News this evening.

The Prime Minister is expected to hold a press conference tomorrow through zoom in which he would release the details.

The news came after the country recorded its first community cases early last month after two port workers had tested positive.

It followed with a nationwide lockdown but that was eased on February 21. Further lifts of Covid restrictions had been announced later on including Tongatapu and Vava’u students in  forms 6 and 7 returning to face-to-face learning at schools yesterday, Wednesday 16.

There are 273 new cases of Covid in Tonga today Thursday 17 brining the number of active cases to a total of 1632.  

There have now been 2530 confirmed Covid cases in Tonga since the outbreak.

The number of Covid related deaths stood at two while 896 people had recovered.

Meanwhile, three cabinet ministers reportedly tested positive for COVID-19, including the Minister for Internal Affairs Sione Sangstar Saulala, Minister for Foreign Affairs Fekita ‘Utoikamanu and the Minister for Justice and Prisons Hon Sāmiu Vaipulu.

The Prime Minister Hon Hu’akavameiliku had also tested positive and entered self-isolation last week.

Lord and Lady Fulivai served with demand for payment of $253,000 to Auckland businessman after court rulings in Tonga and New Zealand

By
Philip Cass
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Lord Fuliva (L), Helen Fulivai (R). Photos (Supplied) taken at the time of service of Certificate of Registration of Judgment, Ex parte Application for Registration of a Foreign Judgment in the Supreme Court of Tonga filed 4 March 2022, Affidavit in support of Application for Registration of New Zealand Judgment in Tonga sworn on 20 December 2021 & Ruling of the
Court dated 8 March 2022.

Lord and Lady Fulivai have been served with a demand for payment of more than a quarter of a million dollars owed to Auckland businessman Christopher Barrett.

The Fulivais have been pursued over non-payment of fees and expenses incurred during business deals with Barrett.

As Kaniva News reported in October last year, the High Court in Auckland ordered that the former Governor of Vava’u and his wife repay Barrett $253,370.60, the equivalent of $TP407,777.

The couple were also served with an affadavit showing that the Tongan Supreme Court had allowed the New Zealand judgement to be registered in the central registry of the Supreme Court under the terms of a reciprocal enforcement of judgements order.

The Fulivais were served with an affadavit on Saturday at their home in Mangere Bridge in Auckland.

The Honourable Justice Venning ruled in the New Zealand High Court last year that the Fulivais must repay the money together with interest dating back to January 1, 2018; repayment of loans with interests and costs for the entire proceedings.

In evidence submitted to the court Barrett said  the Governor told him he had considerable influence in being able to facilitate the granting of leases of land in Vava’u and made various other promises.

“In particular, he gave me assurances for the granting of a 99-year lease of land on an island called Pangaimotu in Vava’u for which I was to pay $170,000,” Barrett said.

“Part of these monies were to be used to pay off persons who were presently occupying that land.”

Barrett said he did not receive any lease and the defendants were therefore in breach of the agreement.

Barrett said Lord Fulivai made various promises to grant leases of other pieces of land in Vava’u.

“I was duped,” he said.

“Having given me these assurances of the granting of various leases in land, I received a series of requests from both defendants seeking loans from me over the following years. Unfortunately, I naively trusted them and made loans to them as requested from time to time.

“In general, the loans were agreed to be repaid shortly after they were made although there was no particular time for that to happen. They were certainly repayable on demand.”

New Zealand Police investigated claims against the Fulivais and charged them with obtaining money by deception.

A statement lodged with the court by Barrett’s legal representative said Lord Fulivai had admitted responsibility to repay the $170,000 and $21,500 in loans. The Fulivais had agreed to take no further action in the proceedings last October.

Documents showed that Lord Fulivai used the King’s name and that of the Prime Minister and Health Minister Saia Piukala in his dealings with Barratt.

Tuna project

Last year Barrett told Kaniva News he was also pursuing Lord Fulivai and his Seattle-based cousin Micheal Thomson for $550,000 for work on a yellow fin tuna project.

The project was intended to establish open water fish farms off Hunga Island through a company called Horizon Deep International.

Documents seen by Kaniva News show that Lord Fulivai was sent a bill for US$340,200 through Pacific Consultants and Construction Ltd on August 31 last year.

The bill included consultation services, preparation of documents for investors and loans and financial advances for Lord and Lady Fulivai. The latter came to more than US$30,000.

Barratt told Kaniva News that Lord Fulivai had ignored demands for payment and he would chase the couple for repayment.

Praise for American anthropologist invited  by Queen Sālote to study Tongan lakalaka

By
Philip Cass
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Adrienne Lois Kaeppler, an American anthropologist who was regarded as an expert on Tongan dance and the work of Queen Sālote, has died aged 87.

A portrait of Adrienne Kaeppler, Photo: Photo / Smithsonian Institution

“Why is a Palangi talking about this?”, Kaeppler said at the launching of the book Songs and Poems of Queen Sālote in Nuku’alofa in 2019.

“The short is answer is because Queen Sālote invited me to do so.

“It goes back to 1964 when I was a student. The first time when I came here, I came to a conference of the Pan-Pacific Southeast Asia Women’s Association Meeting. Queen Sālote invited us all and I gave the paper for the Hawai’ian Group which was about Hawai’ian music and dance.

“For the international night, I performed a Hawai’ian dance and the next day Queen Sālote saw me and she said ‘could you do that sort of thing for Tongan music and dance?’ and I said ‘oh, okay’. So I decided to stay, and I stayed for three months and Queen Sālote sent me to all the people she felt were the important people to pass on this kind of information.”

Dr Kaeppler researched the lakalaka, a mass dance that sometimes involved more than 1000 people, all singing and dancing in carefully synchronised motions, that had been passed down from generation to generation.

The American anthropologist said she had been supported and directed in her work by Queen Sālote, who introduced her to a number of the kingdom’s punake.

“Queen Sālote put me in contact with a number of important Tongan dance people. My first teacher was Tu’imala Kaho who taught me tau’olunga. Tu’imala’s mother, ‘Ana Malia and Uncle Vaisima (Hopoate) taught me ula and ‘otuhaka,” Dr. Kaeppler wrote in the introduction to her book Poetry in Motion.

She returned to Tonga for a year in 1965-66 and began to learn Tongan, in what was to become a transitional time for the kingdom.

During her doctoral research in the 1960s and onwards, she spent much time with Ve’ehala, Tupou Posesi Fanua, Sione Hau Koula, Tu’ialo Kefu, Malia Fusi, Kavapele, and Vaisima. She also worked with Catholic nun Sister Tu’ifua, who descended from a high ranking line of chiefs and who learned dancing from Malia Toto and Kolotile, both of whom danced for the immediate descendants of the last Tu’i Tonga.

She returned to Tonga nearly every year to continue her research and learn dance. She took part in the Lakalaka of the village of Ha’ateiho for the Coronation kātoanga of King Tāufa’āhau Tupou IV.

“As an outsider I have really only scratched the surface. Tongans have a more thorough and detailed understanding of dance and its place in their lives,” she wrote. She hoped her work would stimulate more Tongans to write down their knowledge to ensure that dance would continue to enrich the lives of future generations of Tongans.

Her work helped promote understanding of the Tonga’s rich heritage, In 2003 UNESCO  recognised the importance of the Tongan Lakalaka when it was proclaimed a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.”

She spent several years researching the songs and poems of Queen Sālote, working with  Princess Nanasipau‘u Tuku‘aho, Dr. Melenaite Taumoefolau and Dr Elizabeth Wood.

In 1998, she worked at the Tongan National Museum, setting up a special exhibition on the 80th birthday of King Taufa’āhau Tupou IV.

Dr. Kaeppler, was invested as a Commander of the Royal Household Order during the Coronation celebrations of King Tupou VI in 2015.

Last year Her Majesty Queen Nanasipau’u, who worked closely with Dr. Kaeppler over the years, praised her, saying: “It has been amazing for me to have accompanied you on some of your journeys of discovery. Your excitement about the history, culture and arts was captivating and inspiring. …You dedicated your life to your scholarship and the sharing of the wonders you had so carefully and masterfully unveiled.”

Smithsonian

Kaeppler was curator of oceanic ethnology at the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington.

Her work centred on the interrelationships between social structure and the arts, including dance, music, and the visual arts, especially in Tonga and Hawa’i.

The Smithsonian awarded her the Secretary’s Distinguished Scholar Award for excellence in research.

Prime Minister Hu‘akavameiliku tests positive for Covid as Tonga reports two deaths

By
Kaniva Staff
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Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku

Prime Minister Hu’avakameiliku has tested positive for Covid-19.

“Tested positive for covid19. Was Negative on (Wednesday) but now positive. We are fine and isolating at home,” he said this afternoon Saturday 12.

There are 131 new Covid-19 cases in Tonga today, with the Ministry of Health also announcing two deaths.

There are now 1,058 active cases in the community with the number of confirmed cases now at 1,513.

There are 453 people who had been recovered.

The Prime Minister said yesterday none of the active cases was admitted to hospital and no one had showed any sign of serious illness.

Schools reopen

Meanwhile,  Forms 6 and 7 students in Vava’u and Tongatapu are expected to return to school on Wednesday, March 16, 2022.

This meant, only fully vaccinated teachers were allowed to teach in schools, the Prime Minister said.

The Hon Prime Minister said “school management will need to ensure that all Health protocols are followed strictly for the safety of teachers and students”.

“Schools will be given Monday and Tuesday next week to prepare for the return to school and stated this was the only change to the current COVID-19 restrictions”.

Curfew remains from 8pm to 5am for Tongatapu and Vava’u.

Five injured after reports of shots fired in Auckland suburb

By
Kaniva Staff
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By RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission.

Multiple people were discovered injured after shots were fired in the Auckland suburb of Mt Roskill last night.Police car on the street at night

Photo: 123RF

Police responding to calls about gunfire about 10.30pm on Sandringham Road Extension found “at least five people” had been injured.

None of the wounds were life-threatening, and the injured were taken to hospital, police said in a statement.

Police did not give other details about the “incident” near the Wesley Community Centre, but said officers would be in the area today and are investigating.

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