The man who tried to bribe a Police officer as an inducement to release him after he was found with illicit drugs in his car in Nuku’alofa has been found guilty.
‘Epuefi Laimani was charged with four counts of possession of 5.15 g methamphetamine, possession of 3.59 g cannabis, offering to bribe a member of Tonga Police and offering to bribe officer Fifita with $50 and $3000.
The court was told that on 10 October 2018, three Police officers drove east along Vuna Road in an unmarked Police car.
They passed a vehicle parked opposite the Tanoa Hotel. One of the officers recognised the convict sitting inside the vehicle.
He knew him from a previous drugs search conducted that year. They tum their car around and stopping behind Laimani’s car.
Detective Fifita then got out and asked Laimani what he was doing. Laimani said: “Officer Fifita, I am just catching the air,” the court judgement read.
Laimani then handed $50 to Detective Fifita who responded: “I cannot take the money.”
Detective Fifita then told Laimani to step out of the vehicle. Instead, Laimani reached out under the steering wheel to a compartment from which he got an amount of cash including $100 and $50 notes. He grabbed the officer’s hand and tried to push the notes into it, whilst saying “Please bro, please bro”. Detective Fifita did not accept it.
The convict then reached into his right pants pocket, took out a can and threw it towards his feet inside the car. Detective Fifita opened the car door and seized the can. Officer Pohiva joined him at the side of the car and assisted in taking Laimani out of the vehicle.
Laimani was arrested and taken to Nu’ukalofa police station where he was charged with possession of illicit drugs and bribery.
Justice Nick Cooper in delivering Laimani’s guilty verdict said he was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Laimani was in unlawful possession of methamphetamine and cannabis and offered bribes to Officer Fifita.
“I therefore find him guilty, and he is convicted, of all four counts”.
Laimani was told to appear in court on 3 May 2021 for sentencing.
Tongan Australian-based boxer Justin Huni continued his winning streak after he has dismantled challenger Jack Maris within a round in their fight on the Gold Coast last week.
Jsutis Huni hardly raised a sweat in the fight as the ref waved it off early.Source:Getty Images
It was a six-round fight, but the referee has to call the bout in the first round after the 205cm giant Maris was defenseless while “Huni unleashed two massive body shots, before unloading a flurry of wild punches”, the Australian News.com reports.
Huni, 22, made his professional debut against Australian heavyweight champion, Faiga Opelu. Huni, in October 2020. He won that fight in which he secured victory after his opponent’s corner threw in the towel to protect Opelu from further damage.
In December 2020, Huni fought for the second time as a professional against Arsene Fosso. The referee called a halt to the fight in the fourth round after Fosso received several heavy blows from Huni.
Asked how it feels after the fight against Jack Maris, Huni said he was looking forward to his busy year with fights against Christian Tsoye before a fight with Lucas Browne, who is set to fight Paul Gallen on April 21.
“It feels amazing, I’m very happy to be back in the squared circle where I belong,” he told News.com.
Huni was born in Brisbane, Queensland. He was of Tongan descent through his father.
He was a rugby league player where he began playing for the Souths Sunnybank Magpies as a child but gave away the sport to pursue a career in boxing.
The response from the Minister of Tourism Akosita Lavulavu rejecting requests from Vava’u whale watching operators to waive or defer their $3500 licence fees due to border closure has ignited a backlash from the local business community and their supporters.
Tourism Minister Akosita Lavulavu
As Kaniva News reported this week, Lavulavu has sent a clear and tough message to the operators.
The Minister said: “As an option, please note if applicants and licence holders do not pay their licence fees, their insurance, or fail to provide any other requirement for licences, that this will be deemed a breach of licence conditions. The licence will be cancelled, although you will be encouraged to re-apply for your licence whenever you decide to begin operating again”.
She also told the operators that “all issued licences continue to be in effect despite Covid-19. Any fees required to be paid in accordance to the law must be paid”.
The Minster said the licence period cannot be extended to more than three years, “for any reason”.
She said she has no power under Tourism regulations to defer or waive the three-year term licence fees.
As Kaniva News reported, the operators after receiving the Minister’s response to their requests have questioned the power of the government given by the laws to make special decision when the country was in a state of emergency.
Last week the Prime Minister has extended the State of Emergency for another month, until 10 May, due to ongoing concerns around the global spread of Covid-19.
The Minister of Customs and Revenue has used such power to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 by announcing last year that his Ministry has allowed duty exemption on food and household items imported from overseas countries.
Reactions
Reactions from people commenting on social media widely perceived Lavulavu’s response as a show of lack of common sense and part of the young minister’s serial incompetence.
Some commenters mocked Lavulavu’s touting as a law-abiding minister and that was why she cannot bend the tourism rules so she can approve the requests from the whale watching operators.
“Stop saying that you are law-abiding because you are now facing court after you have been accused of committing serious frauds,” a commenter wrote.
“Seriously she needs to sit back and open her eyes. That is so sad,” a commenter on Tonga Expats and Locals Facebook group wrote, under a post the group shared our story on Thursday headed: “Tourism Minister tells Vava’u business whale operators to either pay $3,500 licence fees or lose it despite appeal to consider border lockdown”.
The Facebook group was public and has more than 1,700 members which included palangi and Tongan business operators in Tonga.
“What planet is she on when the tourists aren’t generating any income and the businesses have been desicrated. Open your ears and eyes,” another wrote.
“Exactly where is all the sense in all these fees or rather look at all the nonsense in all these fees, all other countries trying to help their tourism industries but not Tonga”.
“Hopeless government that is completely out of touch with real life. A filthy disgrace from the ruling class and a notable show of worse to come”.
Anti-palangi campaign
The commenters’ perception appears to show the response from the minister was part of an anti-palangi campaign.
“The Ministry has made it clear in the past that they would want Tourism in the hands of Tongans only. This is a way of getting rid of non Tonga Operators”, one commenter wrote.
“Stupidity at its best. Do they want Tonga to have a tourism industry left when borders do open”.
“This display only goes to show the lack of understanding and the inability to function as a smart leader who should be ready to adapt, improvise and overcome the present situation. as long as we are lead by fools we will suffer the consequences”.
Editor’s note:This storyhas been edited to reflect the fact Tonga Expats and Locals Facebook group was a public group. It has more than 1,700 members which included palangi and Tongan business operators.
FAKAMATALA FAKATONGA
Kuo ‘ikai toe longo e kau palangi fakalele mamata’anga tofua’a taufito kia kinautolu kau muli mei Vava’u’ ‘enau mamahi he tali ‘a e Ministā Takimamata’ ne ‘oange mo taukave’i ‘ene muimui he lao’ pea ko ia ai ‘e ‘ikai ke ne tali ‘enau kole ke ki’i toloi atu e totongi ‘enau laiseni $3,500. Kuo nau fehu’ia ai ‘a e me’a ‘oku ui ko e konisenisi mo’ui mo e ‘atamai lelei ‘i he taimi ‘o e faingata’a’ (State of Emergency). ‘Oku toe fehu’ia foki ko e hā ‘oku lava ai pe ‘e he Minisitā Kasitomu’ ia ‘o to’o fakataimi ‘a e totongi tute ‘o e ngaahi koloa’ ke tokoni ki he kakai’ kae ‘ikai lava ia ‘e he Minsitā Takimamata ‘o fai e me’a tatau ki he kau fakalele pisinisi Takimamata’.
By One News / TVNZ and is republished with permission
More than half of the New Zealand athletics team set to compete at the Tokyo Olympics are throwers, led by Dame Valerie Adams who’ll be competing in her fifth games.
Dame Valerie Adams
But at the other end of the spectrum is rising discus star Connor Bell.
At 19 his career is just beginning, and Bell has the youthful enthusiasm to boot.
“I’m still 19, I’m still a teenager, it’s quite a spectacular achievement and I’m incredibly proud of it,” Bell said.
Despite only becoming serious about discus five years ago success didn’t take long to come by, winning a gold medal at the Youth Olympic Games just two years into the sport.
Bell says that initially, the sport was a way of silencing the school bullies, who saw the big country kid who grew up north of Auckland as a target.
“Many kids struggle with getting a hard time at intermediate school and it specifically got me down quite a lot and it’s actually been quite a driver in my passion to do the sport to find myself an identity,” he said.
His parents Jeanette and Stephen have worked hard to create an environment where he can be the best he can be.
“It’s cost us some repaired floorboards because he goes through the spinning routine in the lounge, dining room deck – to this day,”
With throwers usually having long careers, Tokyo is just the beginning and his mentor and now-teammate Dame Valerie Adams is an example of longevity.
Adams was year younger than Bell when she made her Olympic debut at the 2004 Athens games.
The three-time Olympic medallist says that Bell and the other young hopefuls can carry on the torch following her retirement.
“A few years ago I used to think if I retire who’s going to come through now you’re spoilt for choices so I hope from here it continues to grow,” Adams said.
There are hopes in Tonga that Moana Pasifika’s entry into Super Rugby will help the kingdom retain its best local talent.
New Zealand Rugby confirmed this week two Pacific Island franchises have been awarded a conditional licence to join an expanded competition from next year.
Tonga Rugby Union CEO Peter Harding said they haven’t had a lot to do with the franchise so far, as they can’t contribute much at the financial end.
But they will be looking for help in developing a clear pathway for local players and coaches into the professional ranks.
“It’s about time we actually got opportunities for Tongans and Samoans, Polynesian players, to play for a team that represents what they represent as well,” he said.
“We’re very very enthusiastic about it and we’re looking forward to the team and the club, or the franchise, contributing to our pathway anyway it can.”
Tonga does not have a high performance rugby set up on island at the moment, with much of the kingdom’s top local talent snapped up by Japanese universities or secondary schools in New Zealand and Australia.
Harding hopes Moana Pasifika will help Tonga keep their best players in a red jersey.
“When it comes to picking teams it’s usually quite frustrating to see that people overseas have ticked a box to say they’ll stay exclusive for the country that they’re playing in while, in reality, they don’t really have an opportunity to stay in the country they come from and play a professional level of rugby,” he said.
“This will give them the opportunity to go overseas, play in an elite competition but also play for their home country as well so it’s just the right thing to do at the right time.”
A couple of current ‘Ikale Tahi internationals have already put their hands up to play for the new franchise.
“I’ve had two contact me overnight,” Harding enthused down the line from Nuku’alofa.
“One through an agent. They’re very interested. Both of the players – I can’t tell you who they are – but they will most likely be in the (World Cup) squad for 2023 and they’re both pretty excited about the fact that playing for a Polynesian team is something they aspire to.”
Moana Pasifika will initially be based in South Auckland but there are plans to eventually play matches in Nuku’alofa and Apia.
The Samoa Rugby Union, which was recently rebranded as ‘Lakapi Samoa’ – is also keen to agree a mandate for Moana Pasifika to help develop its up and coming players on island.
Pacific Rugby Players CEO Aayden Clarke said the Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika, will give players the chance to play top level rugby and represent their heritage.
“Both the Drua team and Moana Pasifika are going to have this added element around identity and the opportunity for Pacific Islanders to associate with that, and be in a team that has that type of culture,” he said.
“So I’m sure many of them will be hungry and will be looking at this as a great opportunity.”
A final sign off on the two licences is expected by the end of June.
FAKAMATALA FAKATONGA
‘Oku talitali lelei ‘e Tonga ‘a hono fokotu’u ‘o e timi fo’ou ko ia ma’a e kau ‘akapulu ‘iunioni Pasifika’ ke hū ‘o kau he Super Rugby ‘a Nu’u Sila mo ‘Aositelēlia ‘a ia ‘oku ‘iloa ko e 10 New Zealand and Australian Super Rugby. ‘Oku ui ‘eni ko e Moana Pasifika ‘o na hū fo’ou mo e timi ‘e taha he ta’u kaha’u’ ko e Fijian Durua. Ko e timi Moana Pasifika’ ‘e peisi pe ‘i Saute ‘Okalani kae peisi pe i Fisi ‘a e Durua. Kuo pehē ‘e he CEO ‘a Tonga Peter Harding kuo ne osi ma’u ha fetu’utaki ‘a ha tokoua Tonga ‘o fakahā ange te na fie kau ki he timi Moana. Mahino foki ko e kau ‘ailani pe ‘eni tautefito ki Ha’amoa mo Tonga ‘e filifili ki he timi Moana’ pea kuo ‘i ai hano poupoua koe’uhi ‘e toe matalahi ange ai ‘a e matapā ki he tamaiki va’inga Tonga’.
By Dominic Godfrey of RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission
The world’s largest Pacific dance festival got under way in Auckland today after two years of disruptions.
Southern Cross Campus Tongan students huddled under a small gazebo to shelter from the rain, still in high spirits despite the weather. Photo: RNZ / Mabel Muller
Covid-19 caused the cancellation of Polyfest last year, while 2019’s festival was cut short by the Christchurch terror attacks.
Polyfest is the annual Māori and Pasifika cultural highlight for Auckland secondary schools and it started with a flag raising of Pasifika and Mana Whenua colours before a pōwhiri of welcome to guests and performers.
Polyfest director Seiuli Terri Leo-Mau’u Photo: RNZ / Mabel Muller
Polyfest director Seiuli Terri Leo-Mauu said they were really excited to have the festival under way after last year’s Covid-19 cancellation.
“There’s still a lot of uncertainties and a lot of anxiety out there but at the same time it’s kind of overcome by the resilience of these kids and the resilience of the community that comes around this,” said Seiuli.
“Everyone wants this to happen but we’re wanting to do this safely and, as soon as possible, get those kids back on that stage.”
A deputy principal at Māngere College, Mele Galenu’u Ah Sam is one of Polyfest’s Samoa-stage co-ordinator and said numbers had taken a bit of a hit this year with Covid-19 but there was still much to look forward to.
“The Ministry for Pacific Peoples, who are the sponsor for our Tautalaga, for our speeches, and they have provided us with some challenging topics so it will be interesting to see or hear what the kids have to say, and also performances as usual.”
For her Tonga-stage counterpart, James Cook High School’s Fane Fusipongi Ketu’u, it was exciting but meant more to juggle.
“Today we’re starting with our speech competition and we’re holding that on the Samoan stage because the Cook Islands is using our Tongan stage today and tomorrow,” she said.
“It’s a different feeling altogether after two years but we are hoping for the best and we know that it will be a great day today.”
Meanwhile, a key festival sponsor said this year’s event will help create a new post-covid normal for Pasifika youth.
Auckland University’s Henry Sevesi Fesulua’i said Polyfest is a great way for young people to get involved in their culture and heritage.
For secondary school students competing at Polyfest, said Lemoa the Samoa-stage sponsor, it takes them out of the lockdown mind-set.
“Kids are excited. Some of the Year-13’s are taking on leadership capacity (and) are taking those on pretty green because they didn’t have experience last year or the previous year,” he added.
“But they’re really excelling so I think this is a really good time to enjoy and come out of the normality of Covid-19.”
Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio Photo: RNZ / Mabel Muller
Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio said it was exciting to be back at Polyfest after a challenging time and sobering period for young Pasifika.
Numbers had approached 100,000 in previous years with 10,000 performers from 60 schools.
Aupito said Polyfest was founded on helping Māori and Pacific cultures survive and thrive.
“Recognising that more than 60 percent of our Pacific population are New Zealand born but they themselves told me in 2018 that despite them being New Zealand born and despite them not being well versed in our languages, that languages and cultures were still important.”
Without them, mused Aupito, ties would be lost to the land, seas and environment, putting Pacific identity at risk.
For festival director Seiuli, carrying over last year’s theme from the cancelled event was important.
“The theme is just so relevant this year, it’s all about healing the body, mind, spirit and soul. We’re still coming out of a Covid climate and it’s just so relevant today.”
Seiuli and festival chair Robert Solomone said they could not have got Polyfest 2021 over the line without the ongoing commitment from sponsors, schools and students.
Polyfest runs until its biggest day on Saturday.
Manurewa High School’s very first Tokelau group to perform at Polyfest. Photo: RNZ / Mabel Muller
A Utah man convicted of gang-related robberies could be released from prison 40 years early
Kepa Maumau was supposed to spend 55 years in prison, but a new law allowed a federal judge to release him now.
(Photo courtesy of Julia Maumau) Kepa Maumau poses in an undated photo. Maumau will be released from federal prison more than four decades earlier than expected, after a judge reviewed his sentence as part of sweeping criminal justice reform legislation called the First Step Act was enacted in 2018.
It’s been nearly a year since a federal judge ruled that Kepa Maumau should be released from prison four decades earlier than anyone expected.
But the Utah man — convicted more than a dozen years ago of armed robberies as part of a sweeping prosecution of the Tongan Crip Gang — has remained behind bars as federal prosecutors appealed the decision.
On Thursday, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals again cleared his way for early release.
The judges affirmed U.S. District Court Judge Tena Campbell’s decision, and ruled she had the authority to reduce Maumau’s sentence under criminal justice reform signed into law by President Donald Trump.
Maumau faced a mandatory 55 year sentence for the three armed robberies. He’s been locked up for nearly 13 years, and he would have remained imprisoned until 2057 if Congress didn’t pass the First Step Act. That 2018 overhaul gave Campbell the flexibility she lacked in 2011 when she reluctantly sentenced Maumau the first time.
Last May, Campbell was much more lenient. She ordered him to time served.
In making her ruling, the judge said she considered that Maumau’s sentence was extraordinarily long compared to his co-defendants, that prosecutors had offered him a plea deal with only 10 years in prison ahead of his trial, and that Maumau was young when he committed the crimes.
They had argued that Maumau should never have been eligible for compassionate release, saying he’s not elderly or terminally ill or meets any of the traditional requirements. Campbell had ruled that she had the power to grant him compassionate release based on the First Step Act.
The appeals court ruled Thursday that Campbell was right.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for Utah declined to comment Thursday, and Maumau’s defense attorney wasn’t available.
In 2010, Utah’s federal prosecutors used the RICO Act, which stands for Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations, in an attempt to decimate the Tongan Crip Gang. Maumau was one of 17 young men charged. Many of the men took plea deals, getting sentences of a decade or so in exchange for cooperating with the government. Maumau, too, had an offer to plead guilty.
He decided to go to trial, taking a risk most people don’t — 97% of federal criminal cases end in plea deals, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers reported in 2018. Many defendants choose a plea deal to avoid a substantially more severe penalty if convicted. And that’s what happened to Maumau.
He was convicted by a jury of racketeering conspiracy, robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon and multiple counts of using or carrying a firearm during a violent crime.
Maumau was one of 12 accused Tongan Crip Gang members who either pleaded guilty or was convicted — and was given one of the harshest sentences, 55 years.
The last person to go to trial for his alleged ties to the gang, Siale Angilau, was shot and killed by a federal marshal after Angilau grabbed a pen and a mechanical pencil and ran toward a witness who had started testifying about the gang.
Maumau’s second chance came years later, when in 2018, Trump signed the First Step Act, a sweeping criminal justice reform co-written by Utah Sen. Mike Lee. It aimed to reduce the burgeoning federal prison population, lower mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes, expand job training and boost early-release opportunities. It also allows defense attorneys to argue that lengthy sentences don’t match the crime.
Linda Filimoehala is one of the busiest musicians in Auckland.
A euphonium player, she currently plays in three brass bands and is the music director of a fourth; she teaches at her family’s Music Academy and in schools.
Recently she came to our Auckland studio to talk with Tim Dodd.
Last year, after responding to a Facebook post, Linda was selected to represent New Zealand in an online performance of ‘Simple Gifts’ for the United Commonwealth Covid Music Project – a ‘never-before-attempted musical feat to combine the voices of musicians from the 54 member countries in one powerful virtual performance’.
You can see Linda in the video below at 3:55 – she’s fourth row from the top, second from the left.
Music details
HOROVITZ: Euphonium Concerto, excerpt – Linda Filimoehala (euphonium), University of Auckland Symphony Orchestra/Uwe Grodd (RNZ)
BRACKETT arr Michael Higgins: Simple Gifts, excerpt – Dionysus Ensemble & Commonwealth musicians (Leonie Adams LA2020)
SYKES: Carnival Cocktail, excerpt – Linda Filimoehala (euphonium), Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery Brass Band / Steven Booth (private recording)
The Minister of Tourism Akosita Lavulavu told whale watching and swimming operators in Vava’u if they do not pay their licence fees and insurance on time their licences would be cancelled.
Hon ‘Akosita Lavulavu
“The Minister has no authority under the Whale Watching and Swimming Regulations to waive the fees or roll it over”, a letter from the Ministry last week April 9, seen by Kaniva News, read.
The Minister was responding after the operators requested to waive the fees for 2021 season because their businesses never gained any profits due to the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The operators also requested that the payment of licence fees for 2020 be deferred until Tonga opens its border.
The operators also requested that the three year licence term be extended by another year cancelling out year 2020.
They asked the Minister to exclude 3rd party insurance as a requirement for whale watching licence renewals until borders open.
In another request they asked that the whale watching guide tickets 2020 be extended at no cost.
It is understood each operator must pay TOP$1500 per boat licence fee and TOP$2000 for third party insurance.
The Ministry said these licences were valid for three years.
Minister’s response
The Minister declined the requests on all fronts saying there was no authority under the law for the Ministry to waive the requirements for which the operators have asked.
She said “all issued licences continue to be in effect despite Covid-19. Any fees required to be paid in accordance to the law must be paid”.
She said the law says the licences “shall be valid for 3 years”.
The Minster said the licence period cannot be extended to more than three years, “for any reason”.
She reminded the operators that all licence applications must beaccompanied by a third party public liability insurance and a copy of insurance policy.
“As an option, please note if applicants and licence holders do not pay their licence fees, their insurance, or fail to provide any other requirement for licences, that this will be deemed a breach of licence conditions. The licence will be cancelled, although you will be encouraged to re-apply for your licence whenever you decide to begin operating again”.
Akosita also said the government’s “priority as of now is the safety and health of its people and is currently concentrating on repatriating thousand of Tongans who are still getting stuck overseas”.
Operators’ reactions
The Minister’s response “frustrated” the Vava’u operators.
They asked whether the country’s state of national emergency allows authorities to consider and make special decisions when their businesses suffered economically.
“Does Govt expect us all to pluck this money out of thin air?, one of the operators, who we choose not to identify, told Kaniva News.
“Basically, if we do not pay we won’t get a license despite the fact that we will not have a season and have not had income since Nov 2019,” they said.
“We are in a state of emergency and special circumstances apply to these times yet the industry that provides so much for this Kingdom is going to be run into the ground.
“A gazette order could be made to ensure that fees are waivered”.
They said the King in his parliamentary closing speech said “that Tourism was one of the industries that needed to be looked after yet as you can see our Minister of Tourism has no desire to do that and wants to cripple the industry instead”.
‘Epuefi Laimani was charged with four counts of possession of 5.15 g methamphetamine, possession of 3.59 g cannabis, offering to bribe a member of Tonga Police and offering to bribe officer Fifita with $50 and $3000.
