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Men named in Ha‘apai $30m cocaine raid case released on bail

By
Kalino Latu
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The two men facing charges following one of Tonga’s largest cocaine busts can now be named and they have been released on bail.

‘Atonaisio Maile and Lepou Fatafehi appeared in a court before their bail was announced, Talaki newspaper reported on September 10.

The paper did not give the details and conditions of the bail.

The paper said the duo were expected to reappear at the Fasi Magistrate court on September 3.

As Kaniva news reported in July, the two men aged 26 and 28 years, were expected to reappear in court for a bail hearing.

Maile and Fatafehi faced various charges relating to importing cocaine into Tonga and possessing the drug for supply.

The men were arrested after 58kg of cocaine, with a street value of $30 million was seized in Ha’apai in June.

Meanwhile, the Supreme court has convicted and sentenced a Tongatapu man Siaosi Helu to one year and six months imprisonment after he was charged with one count of possession of 39 .65 grams of cannabis contrary to s. 4( a) of the Acts.

The sentence is to be backdated to 10 August 2018.

Fly Niu airline presents gov’t proposal to operate Auckland-Tonga flights

By
Kalino Latu
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The owner of a former Tongan airline which was forced out of the kingdom about 15 years ago arrived in Tonga today in a bid to return the services.

But this time, the domestic services company plans to operate an international flight between Auckland and Tonga.

Fly Niu owner ‘Atu Fīnau said he had talked to the Prime Minister in Auckland about the proposal and Hon ‘Akilisi Pōhiva expressed interest.

Fīnau said the Prime Minister invited him to come to Tonga and present a proposal to the Cabinet this week.

Fīnau, an aviation consultant and engineer, said he had access to aircraft from companies in Canada and Iceland which would be ideal to operate in Tonga.

The plan is to begin an Auckland-Tonga and Tonga-Auckland services with two aircraft.

Fīnau said his company expected the new service and revised schedules to be especially appealing to travellers to and from Tonga and New Zealand.

He said additional services could be added depending on the season and major events in Tonga and New Zealand.

The airline left Tonga in 2004 after the government passed a one airline policy that gave the sole right to operate domestic flights to Peau Vava’u, an airline, co-owned by the Late King George Tupou V and the Ramanlal brothers.

As Kaniva reported in 2015, Finau met Tonga’s then Minister of Infrastructure, Hon ‘Etuate Lavulavu in February that year in an attempt to revive the internal flight services.

The plan was later cancelled after Lavulavu’s ministerial posts were revoked by the king in February 2016.

Fourteen people flown back to New Zealand by Australian authorities

By
Kalino Latu
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A group of 14 people being returned by Australian authorities to New Zealand were met and assessed at Auckland International Airport today.

The group of 12 men and two women arrived on an Australian chartered aircraft this morning under Australian escort.

New Zealand authorities were aware of their arrival through established information sharing arrangements.

On arrival the group were assessed by Police and partner agencies including the Department of Corrections.

The priority for Police is to ensure community safety and assist agencies responsible for facilitating their reintegration into the community.

The Returning Offenders (Management and Information) Act enables information to be required from eligible individuals under the Act, and the supervision of those individuals by Corrections probation officers.

Supervised individuals are subject to standard release conditions, which include reporting to a probation officer and restrictions on where the individual can live, and may be subject to special conditions, such as being required to participate in a rehabilitation or reintegration programme.

When a person is not eligible under the Act, Police still assesses the risk of that individual and puts in place any necessary preventative measures required within the current law.

Between 1 January 2015 and 3 August 2018, 1,394 New Zealanders have been removed from Australia since the amendment of Australian legislation in December 2014.

Police will not confirm the identities of returning individuals, or discuss their backgrounds.

ADB approves plan to expand presence in Tonga

By
Kaniva Staff
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MANILA,18 SEPTEMBER 2018 (ADB) The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is expanding its presence in 11 Pacific island countries to enhance the impact of its growing programme of assistance in the subregion.

The expansion, which was recently approved by ADB’s Board of Directors, will involve the conversion of four extended missions—in Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu—into country offices, and the establishment of seven new country offices in the Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, and Tuvalu.

“Engaging full-time staff in our 11 smallest Pacific member countries is consistent with the recent scaling up of ADB operations in the Pacific,” said ADB Principal Operations Coordination Specialist for the Pacific Mr. Paul Curry.

“The new country offices will increase ADB’s responsiveness to the development needs of the subregion and will better support aid coordination and aid effectiveness.”

Across the Pacific, ADB is significantly scaling up financing to help developing member countries achieve sustainable economic and social development, while enhancing climate and disaster resilience.

ADB’s overall assistance to the Pacific has doubled every 5 years since 2005, and now stands at $2.9 billion. Total assistance is expected to surpass $4 billion by 2020.

The new country offices will allow ADB to have more regular contact and substantive communication with government and development partners, enhance donor coordination, and improve project implementation.

ADB will have staff posted in each Pacific developing member country by the end of 2019.

The country offices will serve as extensions of ADB’s two Pacific regional offices in Fiji and Australia.

ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members—48 from the region.

In 2017, ADB operations totaled $32.2 billion, including $11.9 billion in cofinancing.

Kaniva news has a republication arrangement with PACNEWS

Metal allegedly found in banana an ‘isolated’ incident

By
Kaniva Staff
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by Stephanie Bedo, The Bulletin

UPDATE: A 62-YEAR-OLD woman has been cautioned after a banana was allegedly contaminated with a metal object at a Maryborough supermarket.

Queensland Police said in two statements the alleged incident was not linked to the ongoing strawberry sabotage crisis that has seen fruit stripped off Queensland shelves.

“Police are confident no other products were contaminated in this alleged incident,” the statement said. 

“The community is reminded that contaminating food is treated as a serious offence and a threat to public safety.”

Police said the woman was issued an adult caution.

The Queensland Government has confirmed the alleged incident was mental health-related.

A spokesman for the Premier clarified a person with a mental health issue allegedly put the object in the banana.

EARLIER: QUEENSLAND Police are investigating an incident where a “metal object” was found inside a banana.

The news comes in the wake of needles found in strawberries across the country, plunging the industry into chaos and sparking consumer panic.

Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart confirmed officers were investigating an incident.

The banana was found in a Maryborough supermarket on the Fraser Coast.

He said they were investigating leads.

The news came out a press conference on another issue when Commissioner Stewart was reportedly asked on the banana case.

A media spokeswoman for the Police Minister who was at the event said fortunately the Commissioner was aware of the incident.

It is understood the case is unrelated to the strawberry issue.

“It looks to be a copycat thing,” the spokesman said.

He said police were still interviewing the people involved.

The banana drama follows the extraordinary strawberry sabotage saga, which has spread overseas as the search for the culprit turns into a nationwide manhunt.

A New Zealand supermarket chain has stopped selling Australian strawberries as the strawberry needle scare widens.

Needles or pins have been found by consumers in six states and territories: NSW, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT.

Queensland Police are leading an investigation into the source of the needles, and the state’s Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has stumped up a reward of $100,000 for anyone with information that leads to the capture of the culprits.

NZ Māori-Tonga league match called off

By
Kaniva Staff
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NZ HERALD / PACNEWS A blockbuster test match between Tonga and New Zealand
Māori, pegged to be hosted in Rotorua next month, has been called off.

The game was to be staged a week before Tonga’s historic clash against the Kangaroos in Auckland on October 20.

However, a spokesman for Walco Events told the Rotorua Daily Post the game had been called off because it did not get support from the NRL.

Tonga were arguably the most popular team at last year’s World Cup, selling out matches in Hamilton (twice) and Auckland, on their memorable run to the last four.

Mate Ma’a Tonga boasts some of the best players in the sport, including Cowboys lock Jason Taumalolo, Cronulla prop Andrew Fifita and Warriors winger David Fusitu’a.

Kaniva news has a republication arrangement with PACNEWS

King launches multimillion wind farm project in Tongatapu

By
Kaniva Staff
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by Tonga Government

His Majesty King Tupou VI marked the beginning of the work on Tonga’s largest wind farm project worth over 40 million pa’anga in a ground breaking ceremony on Friday at Niutoua Village.

Dubbed as the 1.3 MW Wind Power System, the project is part of Japan’s grant aid to Tonga. The new system once completed is expected to cover approximately 8 percent of Tonga’s electricity supply.

Ambassador of Japan to Tonga H.E. Mr. Tetsuya Ishii said, “This Wind Power Generation System will be Japan’s first-ever Wind Power Generation project under our grant aid scheme, and it is Japan’s second major project in the field of renewable energy in Tonga, following the Solar Generation Facility.”

He stated that the system together with the solar generation will help Tonga reach its goal by achieving 50% renewable energy by 2020.

“Through this system, the ratio of renewable energy in Tonga’s whole power supply will also increase by 6 percent. I also hope this system, as a result of buying less petrol fuel, will further alleviate some of the financial burdens of the Government of Tonga and the TPL.”

Mr. Ishii explained that the system consisted of two major components; 5 windmills and the Grid Stabilization.

“The windmills are unique and advanced because they are tiltable which will make them more resilient against cyclones and the effects of climate change.”

“The Grid Stabilization System will play a very important role in providing excellent quality electricity which means the un-intermitting provision of electricity that is stable, both in voltage and frequency. When these features are combined, the advanced windmills and Stabilization System will further improve the lives of the people in Tonga.”

The Minister for Public Enterprises Hon Saia Piukala said: “The groundbreaking ceremony this morning, marks not only another significant milestone in the life of this project, but also tangible progress towards the Government’s overall objective of reducing reliance on costly imported diesel, through substantial investments in renewable energy.”

He stated that more than 91% of Tonga’s overall grid connected electricity demand is supplied by generators powered by imported diesel and an estimated 13 million liters of diesel is used to generate the electricity at a cost of about 10% of the country’s GPD and 15% of the total value of imports.

Hon Piukala said that achieving 50% renewable energy generation and a 50% reduction in diesel consumption by 2020 is a “firm declaration of Tonga’s intent” and an important part of the government’s strategy to “guard against oil price volatility” to reduce Tonga’s carbon emission footprint.

CEO for Tonga Power Limited Mr Setitaia Chen said, “Severe Tropical Cyclones are a yearly risk to Tonga and hence the wind technology chosen has been tested to safely withstand up to a category five cyclone. TC Gita was a category 4.”

He said that Tongan technicians will also receive on the job training from Japanese technicians to ensure that the long-term operation and maintenance of the system are established locally.

CEO for MEIDECC Mr Paula Ma’u told guests that the new system will make a significant contribution towards Tonga’s ambitious renewable energy and energy efficiency targets to be achieved within 15 years.

“It is true that these targets are so ambitious but critically important mitigation measures against the devastating impact of climate change and we have to implement it now for our survival and for the future of our children.”

Specific national energy targets include:

-50% of electricity generation from renewable sources by 2020, 70% by 2030, and 100% by 2035
-Improve energy efficiency like reduction of electricity line losses to 9% by 2020 and
-100% access to electricity by 2020

PM Ardern’s fellow for Tonga visits New Zealand

By
Kalino Latu
-

Tonga Deputy Police Commissioner Operations Support Services, Pelenatita Fe’ao Vaisuai, was in New Zealand last week on a Prime Minister’s Fellowship to gain insights into policing in New Zealand.

A highlight of the visit was Vaisuai’s meeting with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

The Prime Minister congratulated Vaisuai on her work, and wished Vaisuai all the very best for the rest of her visit and her future career.

While in New Zealand Vaisuai spent time shadowing senior members of the New Zealand Police executive.

She learnt more about New Zealand approaches to youth justice and deportee management.

Vaisuai has previously worked in the Pacific Transnational Crime Coordination Centre in Suva and was the Coordinator of RAMSI’s Pacific Islands Contingent in the Solomon Islands in 2012.

She was also the Tonga Police Liaison Officer for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Mate Ma‘a Tonga vs Kangaroos a game between NZ and Australia, says MP Jenny Salesa

By
Kalino Latu
-

Tongan New Zealand MP Jenny Salesa said she believed many non-Tongan New Zealanders would support the Mate Ma’a Tonga team when it will clash with the Kangaroos on October 20.

This was just like a match between New Zealand and Australia and was a game to support, she said.

Meanwhile, Tongan star Jason Taumalolo has hailed Kangaroos players for accepting arguably the biggest pay cut in rugby league history to stage their historic Test match next month.

Australia will face the Mate Ma’a for the first time after Kangaroos players agreed to slash their normal $20,000 match payments to under $5000 for the Test in Auckland.

“For them to take a pay cut, for all the players to do that, it means a lot,” Taumalolo told AAP.

“Not just to us boys who get to play against Australia, it means a lot to international rugby league. For them to do that, it’s going to go a long way to us bettering the international game.”

The development comes a year after Taumalolo and Andrew Fifita controversially turned their back on New Zealand and Australia respectively to pull on the Tongan red in the World Cup.

In doing so they also knocked back lucrative money negotiated in the CBA.

Kangaroos players pocketed around $50,000 each for winning last year’s World Cup, while tournament surprise packets Tonga received only $500 a game.

Now Taumalolo and his teammates will earn the same amount as the Australians.

Taumalolo and Simaima Taufa, both won Player of the Year awards at the 2018 Players’ Champion accolades ceremony held in Sydney last week.

Taumalolo took out ‘the big one’ in the form of the club’s Paul Bowman Medal for Cowboys Player of the Year.

The popular lock was one of the game’s hardest workers in the 2018 season, averaging 177 metres per game and becoming the first forward to run for over 5000 metres.

Taumalolo was awarded the Player of the Year and the Player’s Player Awards for the third time in 2018.

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Scholarship applications close on Friday

By
Philip Cass
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Applications for summer internships with the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Pacific Cooperation Foundation close this Friday, September 21.

The internships are open to current New Zealand Scholarship students studying at undergraduate level.

They are intended to give high achieving students from the Pacific and Timor Leste the chance to obtain professional experience with reputable New Zealand companies and government organisations, to develop professional networks, and to improve their readiness to enter employment on return to their home country.

Internships will last from November 19, 2018 until February 15, 2019.

Although most internships are unpaid, MFAT will continue to pay standard scholarship stipends for the period of the internship.

Interns will still be entitled to take Reunion Travel during the summer period, but will be expected to do so at a time that does not interfere with their internship or study responsibilities.

If you are interested, fill out the application form on the link at the bottom of this story and send them by email to internships@pcf.org.nz by no later than 5pm – Friday, September 21, 2018.

For more information 

Summer internship

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