Fiji Police and Immigration officials have detained the University of the South Pacific Vice-Chancellor Professor Pal Ahluwalia, Fiji’s FBC reported this morning.
Professor Pal Ahluwalia. Photo/ University of Portsmouth
USP Pro-Chancellor Winston Thompson reportedly said he was aware of the arrest of the Vice-Chancellor and his wife, however, he did not provide any further explanation of the arrest, the broadcaster said.
It said USP Staff Union President Elizabeth Read Fong said the Vice-Chancellor and his wife were taken in at midnight.
Fong reportedly said that the USP Council, Chancellor, and Pro-Chancellor have been informed and staff will await their advice on their next move.
The arrest was the latest twist after Kaniva News and other Pacific media reported last year claims some academics and staff at USP may have been rorting the university’s financial system for years.
The activities were uncovered in a report by Accountants BDO who were brought in after the university’s new Vice Chancellor, Professor Pal Ahluwalia found irregularities.
At the time we reported that other USP documents showed the Fijian government has been trying to drive Professor Ahluwalia out of the country.
There were also documents concerning a sex for grades scandal at the university.
Professor Ahluwalia was suspended following the allegations, an act which has drawn criticism from Tonga and several other Pacific nations.
Australia has suspended aid until the university is cleaned up.
Prime Minister Pōhiva Tu’i’onetoa recalled moments of struggle and how difficult it was in Tonga while he was a high school student to have enough book keeping teachers to lead the subject.
Dr Pōhiva Tu’i’onetoa. Photo/Kalino Lātū (Kaniva Tonga)
He said he was lucky to have passed the subject at the New Zealand University Entrance Examination while studying at Tupou High School.
He was then given a scholarship by the Tonga government to study in New Zealand in accounting in early 1980s.
He said scholarships were rare at the time.
Hon. Tu’i’onetoa was delivering a speech in Nuku’alofa at the Fa’onelua Convention Centre where he was made a Fellow of the Institute of Certified Management Accountants of Australia (FCMA).
The FCMA focuses on management accounting and has more than 10,000 members around the world.
The award was presented by the Australian High Commissioner, HE Mr. Adrian Morrison, on behalf of the Institute, (ICMA).
The Prime Minister said the award added more credibility to his educational backgrounds as well as any financial reports he had to sign.
He said the abbreviation FCMA would be added to his official signature.
Emotional
The Prime Minister was emotional during his speech. He mentioned family members who supported his studies and teachers who first introduced him to book keeping.
“It was a tough time as I came through so many struggles,” he said.
He said his first teacher in book keeping was the late Rev. Taasi Kale from Makave, Vava’u while he was studying at Tupou College.
His second book keeping teacher was the late Tongan accountant Albin Johansson when he studied at Tupou High School.
He said he became interested in book keeping, but he never knew that one day it would become his bread and butter.
He said he rewarded his mother by sharing with her the money from his salary when he returned from study in New Zealand and was employed by the government as Tonga’s Auditor General.
Hon. Tu’i’onetoa said he told his mother he wanted to be of any use to her before she died.
But his mother gave him advice he never forgot.
“Thanks for that,” his mother said.
“But it was my responsibility to educate you . . . it was meant for you to be an asset to your family and the future generation,” his late mother told him.
He said the Free Wesleyan Church which owned the Tupou College and Tupou High School could not afford to pay for a book keeping teacher at the time to teach at Tupou High School.
He said Albin offered to teach accounting free at Tupou High School twice a week. Albin’s daughter, an accountant and auditor, ‘Aloma Johansson, spoke during the ceremony.
The Prime Minister passed the book keeping University Entrance examination level before he applied for a government scholarship and went and studied in New Zealand.
He graduated as a Chartered Accountant (CA) from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of New Zealand in 1982.
In 1999 he became a Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA) from the Institute of Chartered Accountant of New Zealand.
He also has a M.Bus (Acc) and a Master of Business (Accounting) from Monash University, Melbourne in Australia.
Urging students
He said the treasurer and accountant roles were significant anywhere, including churches and governments.
He said money could throw almost every group, family, clubs, women’s weaving groups, ex-students into disarray.
“The trustworthiness of the treasurers is important,” he said.
He had a message for the students who attended the ceremony last week and those who were listening online.
He said discipline was of paramount importance for accountants and treasurers.
“Discipline, to you students if you are listening, it would be assessed in many years after you finished studying and worked before this kind of award is being conferred on somebody because of their experience and trustworthiness.”
The speech was conveyed both in Tongan and English.
Speaking in English Hon. Tu’i’onetoa said he faced many struggles from the 1970s until the 1990s.
He said he used his accounting professionalism “to assist the decision makers, including the leaders to make well calculated decisions based on the accuracy, the reliability, credibility and with complete financial information that are provided and audited on a timely basis in order to help government ministries, the people and business community to make the right, true and fair decisions.”
A Tongatapu woman’s 15-months imprisonment sentence for altering more than 40 cheques and stealing $18,189 pa’anga from an uncle’s business has been fully suspended.
Lolina ‘Ofa, 24, from Tokomololo, appeared at the Supreme Court on January 29 on three charges of forgery, theft and knowingly dealing with forged documents.
The defendant was customarily adopted by her maternal uncle and his wife since she was 11- year-old.
The defendant’s adoptive parents looked after a business, ‘Lyfe Apparel and Signage’ belonging to her adoptive mother’s brother, Sonatane Hafoka who lived in Australia.
The business and the main office were located inside the residence where the defendant and her adoptive parents lived. The business has an account with the BSP bank, and the cheque book was kept inside the business office.
On different occasions between the month of September 2019 to April 2020, the defendant forged Mr Hafoka’s signature on the cheques before she cashed out the money at BSP bank.
She then deposited the money into her own bank account. A total of 43 cheques were cashed by the defendant amounting to $18,189.60.
During this time the owner of the business was in Australia. He noticed the irregularities in the account and contacted the BSP bank. He was informed by the bank that it was the defendant who had cashed the cheques and had deposited the money into her own bank account.
Hafoka lodged a complaint with Police and the defendant was arrested and charged.
By the time the defendant was arraigned her natural parents had already started to make payments to the bank and had arranged with the bank that they will pay $500 every month until the total of the money stolen was paid in full.
The bank had reimbursed Mr Hafoka of the money taken by the defendant and they agreed to the arrangement for the defendant and her parents to pay back the money to the bank.
‘Ofa told the probation officer that the offending commenced when she began dating her boyfriend. She forged the cheques and cashed the money out to cater for her boyfriend’s expenses and also for her own needs.
She told the officer she knew what she was doing was wrong but believed that if her uncle found out he would forgive her because she is her fa’ētangata.
However, when her adopted uncle found out about what she did he broke off all ties with the defendant and demanded that his sister and husband removed ‘Ofa from his house.
‘Ofa told the probation officer that she has now gone through the process of the court and has not only brought shame upon herself and her family but her actions have also ruined the relationship she had with her adopted family.
Justice Langi fully suspended ‘Ofa’s sentence for one year on the conditions that she is not to commit any offence punishable by imprisonment for the period of her suspension. That ‘Ofa is placed on probation for the period of her suspension. She is to undertake and complete the Salvation Army Life Skills program. The defendant is to complete 80 hours of community service under the direction of the probation office and to report to the Probation Office by Monday 1 February 2021.
FAKAMATALA FAKA-TONGA
Na’e toloi malu’i angalelei kakato e tautea ngāue pōpula māhina ‘e 15 ‘o Lolina ‘ofa ta’u 24 ‘o Tokomololo ;i ha ta’u ‘e taha, hili ‘a ‘ene hā ‘i he Fakamaau’anga Lahi’ faka’ilo ki he hia ko e kaiha’a, fakamo’oni loi mo ngāue’aki ha ngaahi pepa kuo fakamo’oni loi’i ‘i he ‘ilo’ilo pau. Ko e hili ‘eni hono toutou toho ‘e ‘Ofa ha sieke ‘e 43 ne ne fakamo’oni loi’i ai e hingoa e taha ‘a’ana ‘a e pisinisi ‘i Tokomololo ko e ‘Lyfe Apparel and Signage’. Ko e ‘ouna ‘o e pisinisi’ ko Sonatane Hafoka. Na’e fe’unga e pa’anga katoa ne kesi ta’etotonu heni ‘e ‘Ofa mo e $18,189.60. Ne fakahoko ‘eni ‘oku ‘i ‘Aositelēlia ‘a Hafoka ‘a ia ‘oku nofo pe ia ai. Ne fakatokanga’i ‘e Hafoka ‘oku ‘i ai e fe’amokaki ngali kehe ‘i he tu’unga fakapa’anga ‘o ‘ene ‘akauni ‘o ne lāunga ai ki he pangikē BSP ‘i Tonga ‘o ‘ilo ko ‘Ofa ne ne fai ‘a e ngāue pango’ ni. Na’e pusiaki ‘a ‘Ofa ‘e ha ongomātu’a ko e tamai’ ko ‘ene fa’ētangata mo’oni. Ko e mali ‘ene fa’ētanga’ ko e tuofefine ia ‘o Hafoka. Ne iku totongi fakafoki ‘e he pangikee’ e pa’anga ‘a Hafoka hili ha’anau alea mo e ongo mātu’a totonu ‘a ‘Ofa’ te na tā fakafoki kotoa ange ‘aki ‘a e $500 he māhina.
(NZ) A 19-year-old Tongan man was fighting for his life in hospital after an unprovoked attack in Christchurch early on Sunday morning.
Police are hunting this man following the unprovoked assault on Taufateau in central Christchurch early on Sunday.
Leni Taufaeteau was knocked unconscious by a Mongrel Mob member in front of dozens of onlookers.
The incident was caught on camera, footage released by police as they continue to hunt for Taufateau’s attacker.
“Taufateau, who moved to Christchurch from Tonga on a rugby scholarship at St Thomas of Canterbury College, had spent the day playing at a rugby league tournament before going to a prize-giving and on to a friend’s 21st birthday,” Stuff reported.
Detective Senior Sergeant Nicola Reeves confirmed that Taufateau’s attacker was a Mongrel Mob member who was in town socialising.
Police are appealing for information following an assault on Oxford Terrace in the early hours of 31 January 2021.
At around 1am a man was punched in an unprovoked attack by another male causing the victim to fall to the ground and hit his head on the pavement.
Taufateau remains in hospital after the unprovoked attack, where his prognosis is uncertain.
The offender was one of a group of Mongrel Mob who were socialising in town at the time and is described as Maori with tattoos on his arms, wearing black clothing, a black hat and a red bandana wrapped around his wrist.
Given the large numbers of people who were in the area at the time, Police believe members of the public may have videos or photographs of the assault and/or the offender.
Anyone who has information about the assault is encouraged to contact Police on 105 quoting file number 210131/5776 or anonymously on 0800 Crimestoppers.
FAKAMATALA FAKA-TONGA
‘Oku kei fakaakeake ‘i ha tu’unga faingata’a’ia ‘a Leni Taufateau, 19, ‘i ha falemahaki ‘i Kalaiseesi, Nu’u Sila hili hano ‘ohofi ta’e tene fakatupunga ha me’a ‘i he hengihengi Sāpate’. ‘Oku tukuaki’i ‘e he kau polisi’ ‘a e tā fakalavea’ ni ki ha tangata Maori mei he kau kengi Mongorel Mob. Na’e ma’u ‘a e me’a ne hoko’ ‘i ha vitiō le’o ‘o to’o mei ai ‘e he kau polisi e ‘ata ‘o e toko taha ko ‘eni ‘oku tukuaki’i ki ai ‘a e ‘ohofi’ ‘o tuku mai ki he kakai’ na’a ‘oku ‘ilo taha ki ai pea fakahoko ange. Ko Taufateau ne toki ha’u mei Tonga ‘o ako ‘i ha sikolasipi ‘akapulu ‘iunioni ‘i he St Thomas of Canterbury College.
The Tonga government funds for non-government high schools have been withheld again by the Ministry of Education and Training for more than three years now, it has been revealed.
Lord Sevele O Vailahi
The Ministry withheld the money after it was discovered that some of the grants had not been used according to the purpose of the funding programme.
The revelation was made by Lord Sevele ‘O Vailahi in a speech last week during a live streamed ceremony in Tongatapu attended by the Prime Minister Pōhiva Tu’i’onetoa.
“Today only part of that money has been paid to the teachers,” Lord Sevele said.
“That’s not right.
“That money was authorised by the Parliament and was allocated from the people’s tax money to help increase the teachers’ salaries.”
Dr Sevele asked Hon Tu’i’onetoa to help fix the problem.
He said it was unfortunate some schools did not use the money according to the purpose of the funding programme.
He said that is “wrong and illegal”.
He said there was a case now before the court regarding an alleged misuse of the funding programme. The noble was referring to the court case in which the Minister of Infrastructure ‘Akosita Lavulavu and her husband Etuate had been charged after auditors uncovered irregularities in a 2016 audit of the ‘Unuaki ‘o Tonga Royal Institute, of which Mrs Lavulavu was a director.
Lord Sevele, a former Prime Minister and Director of Catholic Schools said the churches have breached an agreement he and a committee successfully arranged with the government in 1986 to help support the non-government schools financially.
He said he has calculated the money that has been withheld from the funding programme in the last three years was over a million.
“That’s huge money,” he told listeners.
The money was intended to top up non-government school teachers’ pay to match the equivalent of high salaries offered by the government to its teachers.
Lord Sevele said the grant paid $20 per head for each non-government school student when the programme started more than 40 years ago.
Today the government has paid $700 per student.
NZ and Australia funding
The catastrophe for the private schools came after the Australian and New Zealand funds for non-government high schools have been withheld by the Tongan Ministry of Education and Training in 2016.
As we reported at the time, the Ministry withheld the money after it was discovered that some of the grants had not been used according to the purpose of the funding programme.
New Zealand and Australia co-fund a multi-million dollar programme for secondary schools in the kingdom.
At the time, the then Free Wesleyan Church Schools’ Director of Education, Dr Mele’ana Puloka, said it had been two years since New Zealand and Australian funding was held back from the church’s schools.
She said she knew there were good reasons why the funding had been withheld, but the church could not only pay its teachers and disregard other staff working outside the classrooms.
In 2011 the grant paid TP$400 per head for each non-government school student, made up of TP$100 from Australia, TP$100 from New Zealand and TP$200 from the Tongan government.
The New Zealand and Australian funding was finally released the same year.
FAKAMATALA FAKA-TONGA
Kuo ‘i ai ‘a e tui ne maumau’i ‘e he ngaahi ako siasi e aleapau ne fai mo e pule’anga’ ‘o iku kei ta’ofi tu’u ai e laui miliona pa’anga ne totonu ke tokoni ki he vāhenga kau faiako siasi’. Ko ha alea ‘eni ne fakapapau’i ‘i he ta’u 1986 ke fakapa’anga ‘e he pule’anga $20 e fo’i ‘ulu ‘o e toko taha ako siasi kotoa pe. ‘I he ‘aho ni kuo a’u ki he $700 ki he fo’i ‘ulu ‘a e tokoni ko ia’. Ka kuo mahino kuo ‘ikai ngāue’aki ‘e he ngaahi ako’ ‘a e tokoni ko ‘eni ki hono taumu’a totonu’ ‘a ia ko e tokoni ki he vāhenga ‘a e kau faiako kae ngāue’aki ia ki he ngaahi me’a kehe. Kuo laka hake ‘i he ta’u ‘e tolu ‘a hono ta’ofi ‘o e tokoni ko ‘eni’ ‘e he pule’anga’. ‘I he 2016 ne lipooti atu ai ‘e he Kaniva’ hono ta’ofi tu’u ‘a e tokoni ‘a Nu’u Sila mo ‘Aositelēlia ki he ngaahi ako ‘a Tonga’ ai pe he ‘uhinga tatau ko hono maumau’i ‘e he ngaahi siasi’ ‘a e aleapau ki he taumu’a ‘o e pa’anga’.
A Senior Magistrate in Nuku’alofa has temporarily banned law enforcement authorities from collecting money from people who have been fined under new road safety measures the government signed into law in October 2020.
Transport Minister Hon ‘Akosita Lavulavu
The magistrate has ordered the new traffic, land transport and vehicle use laws to be revised, citing concerns over the large amounts of money fines it has imposed, the Kakalu ‘O Tonga newspaper reported.
The paper cited government sources who supported the Magistrate’s decision and claimed the basis on which the law was created appeared to be invalid.
The new law, which was introduced by the Minster of Transport ‘Akosita Lavulavu included the compulsory wearing of seatbelts, made the use of mobile phones while driving illegal and mandated that cars cannot be used without a registration plate.
Children must also be seated when a vehicle is in motion, and they can no longer sit on the driver’s lap.
Playing loud music, extreme tinting and the addition of blinking, colourful or distracting lights have also been prohibited.
At the time, Hon. Lavulavu said the laws would make Tonga’s public roads safer.
The deadliest year on the roads in the past 10 years was 2018, with 21 deaths.
“The Traffic Act 2020 and the Roads Act 2020 have long been discussed and consulted on with the public and by the government during its passage through the legislative assembly,” the Ministry of Infrastructure said.
Criticisms
The law had been widely criticised by the public from the outset both in the local news and social media.
The gist of the condemnation has been that while the vast majority of people in Tonga owned vehicles, they did not have sources of income.
Critics cited sources from police who claimed most fatal accidents in Tonga were caused by speeding and drink driving.
Late last year photos of vehicles in Ha’apai shared on social media showed pick up vans full of people standing in the back while the vans were moving.
This was typical in December when villages only had pick up trucks to transport their supporters and players during the basketball season.
Commentaters on Facebook have asked what the government could do for these passengers and drivers of the Ha’apai pick up when the law for seatbelts was already in place.
Some believed the seatbelts law did not consider the fact that pick up trucks had been used to transport people in Tonga for a long time. They claimed that these vehicles appeared to have rarely been involved in road accidents.
Supporters of the law said if all drivers and passengers followed what the law stipulated Police would hardly fine anybody.
Photo of pick up vans full of people standing in the back while the vans were moving across Foa Island causeway in Ha’apai. Photo/Facebook
Loud music
The new law says that anybody playing loud music without permission while driving will face a fine of TP$500 for the first offence, a month in jail if they do not pay the fine and a TP$1000 fine for each subsequent offence, or three months in prison.
The Court can also also order that the convicted person be disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver’s license for a year.
Seatbelts
Every person driving a motor vehicle or riding in the front seat of a motor vehicle (other than a motor cycle) who does not wear an adult seatbelt commits an offence. This does not apply to a person riding in the front seat who is under 12 years
The Principal Licensing Authority may declare by notice in the Government Gazette additional mandatory requirements for motor vehicles to have working seatbelts before registration and licencing, and any additional requirements for rear seats and infant seats. It shall not be a defence to any person charged with driving or riding in the front of a motor vehicle without wearing an adult seatbelt, if the motor vehicle does not have seatbelts, or has defective seatbelts. Anybody who fails to comply with any of the provisions of this section will be guilty of an offence.
A second tropical cyclone has formed in Fiji at midnight February 1 and has been named Tropical Cyclone Bina.
[SOURCE: FIJI METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE]According to the Fiji Meteorological Service track map, Category One Bina is located Northwest of Fiji and is anticipated to track southeastwards towards the country.
The Weather Office says TC Bina is a fast-moving system.
Meanwhile, Tropical Cyclone Ana has been upgraded to a severe category three system as of midnight.
The Fiji Meteorological Service says the system is currently moving at 13km/hr over open waters.
According to the Fiji Meteorological Service track map, TC Ana is moving further away from Kadavu and is picking up speed.
Tonga Met said this morning February 1 at 5am TC Ana on its current track, could bring destructive storm force winds to Tonga.
It is expected to make landfall at Tele-ki-Tonga and Tele-ki-Tokelau and delivered damaging gale force winds to Haapai, Tongatapu and Eua groups by late today or early Tuesday.
Associated strong winds, cloudy conditions with periods of heavy rain and thunderstorm continues to affect Tonga.
A storm warning remains in force for Tele-Ki-Tonga and Tele-Ki-Tokelau coastal waters.
A gale warning remains in force for the island groups and coastal waters of Ha’apai, Tongatapu and ‘Eua.
A strong wind warning remains in force for the Niuas and Vava’u land areas and coastal waters.
A heavy damaging swell and small craft advisory remains in force for all of Tonga coastal waters.
A heavy rain warning and flash flood advisory remains in force for all of Tonga land areas.
Tropical Cyclone Ana is heading towards Tonga and it could deliver some severe weather to Tongatapu, Ha’apai and ‘Eua islands.
Breadfruit trees blown by strong wind in the last 24 hours in Tongatapu. Photo/Faka’osi Maama
On its current track, it could bring damaging gale force winds to Haapai, Tongatapu and ‘Eua groups by late Monday or early Tuesday.
Tongan Met Services said a gale alert remains in force for the island groups of Ha’apai, Tongatapu and ‘Eua.
Associated strong winds, cloudy conditions with periods of heavy rain and thunderstorms continues to affect Tonga.
A strong wind warning remains in force for all land and coastal waters
A heavy damaging swell warning remains in force for all of Tonga coastal waters.
A heavy rain warning and flash flood advisory remains in force for all of Tonga land areas
A small craft advisory remains in force for all of Tonga coastal waters.
The Tropical Category 1 Cyclone Ana was located at 16.0 South and 176.6 East or about 825KM West of Niuafo’ou, 1020KM West of Niuatoputapu, 1030KM North Northwest of Nuku’alofa, 1035KM West Northwest of Vava’u, 1040KM West Northwest of Ha’apai, 1070KM Northwest of ‘Eua at 12:00pm noon today, Met said.
Tropical Cyclone Ana is moving Southeast at about 11 knots (22km/hr).
The maximum winds near its centre is about 35 knots (70km/hr) and increasing to 40 knots (80km/hr) about 7:00pm this evening.
The Nuku’alofa Supreme Court today Friday 29 rejected a request from the Minister of Infrastructure and her husband to extend the deadline for the hearing of their fraud charges until June.
Hon. ‘Akosita and her husband ‘Etuate Lavulavu
William Clive Edwards Jr, one of the lawyers for Mrs ‘Akosita and Mr ‘Etuate Lavulavu wanted to give the Lavulavus’ barrister in Australia, Stephen Stanton, more time to make travel arrangements, Nepituno webpage reported today.
It said Stanton’s attempts to travel to Tonga had been marred by the impacts of the Covid-19 restrictions.
Edwards also wanted to give the Lavulavus’ lawyers more time to respond to prosecutors’ allegations.
The Lavulavu couple was arrested on October 2018 and charged with knowingly dealing with forged documents and obtaining credit by false pretences, after irregularities in an audit of the ‘Unuaki ‘o Tonga Royal Institute in 2016.
At the time, ‘Akosita was the Minister of Internal Affairs. She was later sacked from her ministerial position by the then Prime Minister due to the criminal charges.
She was re-elected about a year later by the current Prime Minister Pōhiva Tu’i’onetoa as his Minister of Infrastructure.
Chief Justice Michael Whitten rejected the request, saying the case had been held up for two years now.
Whitten said there has been several repatriation flights from Australia to Tonga recently and there was an opportunity there for Stanton to apply to travel to the kingdom. The government has announced this week more repatriation flights from Australia to Tonga starting next month until June.
Whitten has set the hearing date for 12 April 2021.
In 2016 Tonga’s Supreme Court convicted ‘Etuate of bribery and spending over the legal limit on his 2014 election campaign.
The judge said ‘Etuate was not a credible witness and that his evidence was implausible, evasive and untruthful.
‘Etuate is also facing a lawsuit after he was accused recently of forging a landlord’s signature in Vava’u from whom he leased land.
In 2000 he was sued by Late Prince Tu’ipelehake for damages and unlawful cultivation of his land. Chief Justice Ward ordered ‘Etuate to quit the land and pay $7,905 damages. Chief Justice Ward, presiding, was scathing about aspects of ‘Etuate’s testimony during the trial, saying “I felt he was willing to say almost anything that seemed to suit the moment with a repeated disregard for the truth.”
‘Etuate was also arrested in Utah in the United States in October 2003 over a 1997 immigration scam. In 2004 he was convicted after pleading guilty to two counts of illegal use of a birth certificate.
He is the Deputy Chairman of the People’s Party, a political organsation he co-founded with Prime Minister Tu’i’onetoa.
