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Town officer injured during tangaki; giant skeletons believed to be of king’s mother

By
Kalino Latu
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A leading matāpule of Lord Ma’afu claimed the mother of Late King Siaosi Tupou I, Lady Hoamofaleono, was about between three and four metres (10 – 11 feet) tall.

‘Atamai-He-Me’alahi claimed her royal grave was four feet wide.

He did not provide the details of how they measured the skeletons found and the size of the grave.

The claims were made after the Huelo ‘O Hāngai royal cemetery in Tokomololo was tangaki (exhumed) in May.

As Kaniva News reported last week, the exhumations were made on the order of King Tupou VI.

‘Atamai also claimed the town officer of Tokomololo became sick and partly incapable of movement days after he got down into Hoamofaleono’s tomb during the exhumation rituals.

‘Atamai claimed this had happened because the town officer didn’t have the traditional and cultural rights to get into the royal tomb.

He claimed the town officer was asked by Tākapu, the leader of Ha’a Tufunga, to dig up one of the remains of the escorts who were buried along with Hoamofaleono.

King Tupou I, who was also known as Taufa’āhau, was revered by Tongans after he announced the Emancipation Edict freeing all commoners from bondage to the chiefs in 1862 and the promulgation of the Constitution in 1875.

 ‘Atamai also claimed two matāpules from Vainī, one from Lord Ma’afu’s estates,  died after they were given the heraldic names Tō E La’ā ‘o Tonga (Sun of Tonga is set)  and Takavale ‘i Mo’unga (Wander about foolishly in the royal tomb.)

After they died another person was appointed, but he refused to accept the position after he claimed he had a dream in which he saw people trample and crushed him. He was then reappointed to the name Fatongia ‘I Lo’āmanu.

The ownership of the name Takavale ‘I Mo’unga was Late Princess Tāone, the wife of Lord Ma’afu.

‘Atamai claimed that if anything sinister happened to the royal family, a lake in Tokomololo known as Tu’ilokomana which literally means Tu’i for king, loko or loka for rough seas and mana for thunder, would react by rumbling and causing big waves.

The fragrant flower plants Heilala grown by the lake gave the name Heilala ‘O Tu’ilokomana.

The name Tokomololo came from Toka-Moe-Lolo  after Hoamofaleono swam and bathed in a lake in the town.  The oil from her candle-nut soap appeared while the candle-nut she used floated on top of the water, hence the name Toka-Moe-Lolo.

For more information

Land lease leaves King Tupou 1’s mother’s tomb dilapidated; King orders its restoration

Henderson boosts cultural connection with community; sponsors Miss Tau‘olunga 2018

By
Kalino Latu
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Henderson Cars in Auckland has continued to boost its cultural connection with the Tongan community by providing a free meal and a sponsorship of a major Tongan dancing competition.

The car dealership at 24 Great South Road, Takanini has a free puaka tunu (roasted pig)  and ‘ota ika (fish mixed with coconut milk and vegetables) for the public every Saturday during the month of August starting this Saturday.

Henderson Cars has offered a Nissan Veneta van for Kaniva Tonga news as part of a new collaboration to boost the company’s public relation.

Kaniva will help write advertorials and reports on Henderson Cars major community events.

The company’s spokeswoman Stella Heeney said Miss Tau’olunga Faka-Tonga 2018 was divided into four categories.

You can follow this link to visit Henderson Cars Facebook Page.

The dancing competition will feature young girls who will be vying to win the Miss Tau’olunga Faka-Tonga 2018.

It will also feature the Henderson Cars Kaniva Tonga Band during the event at the Henderson car yard.

The company will also live stream from 12-1pm each Saturday showcasing a group dance of each category of the Miss Tau’olunga Faka-Tonga 2018, starting with the Junior Category on Saturday September 4, 2018.

The competition was organised by Tongan choreographer Milika Pusiaki.

The company will move to a big yard at Cavendish Drive in Manukau soon.

The move is part of its ambition to make sure it is close enough to its major Pacific community base, especially the Tongan and the Samoan communities.

Two at centre of probe into electricity body to face each other in court

By
Kalino Latu
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The whistle-blower who brought to light allegations of financial irregularities against former Speaker Lord Tu’ivakanō has sued one of her colleagues at the Tonga Electricity Commission.

Lawyer Seinimili Tu’i’onetoa Fonua has taken legal action against commissioner Paula Tupou.

In an email to Kaniva on Friday, Paula Tupou wrote: “I am to be in Court at Fasi 10 a.m. this morning for ‘unruly behaviour in a public place’. There are six charges against me brought about by my fellow Electricity Commissioner Seinimili Tu’i’onetoa Fonua.”

Our correspondent in Tonga arrived at the Fasi Magistrate’s Court on Friday to cover the court case, but was told it has been postponed until August 3.

As Kaniva reported last year, Commissioner Paula Tupou was investigating the allegations of missing funds in the Electricity Commission.

The former Chairman of the Board, Lord Dalgety of Scotland Tonga, who was at the centre of the allegations, abruptly resigned, citing health reasons.

Commissioner Tupou was appointed as the Electricity Commission’s Acting CEO while Fonua was appointed by Cabinet as a Commissioner.

Fonua’s appointment came after she resigned from the Legislative Assembly over what she claimed was a lack of independence in Parliament and allegations of financial irregularities involving Lord Tuʻivakanō.

In March this year Police charged Lord Tu’ivakanō with passport offences, money laundering and bribery.

New Zealand High Court rules money cannot be recovered from Tongan company

By
Philip Cass
-

Funds paid to a company in Tonga cannot be recovered by a liquidator seeking to recover more than $800,000,  the New Zealand High Court has ruled.

The liquidator applied for an order to recover $803,517.28  from Knut Klavenes and his wife Melenau as well as $16,030.26  from their son.

The liquidator argued that more money had been disbursed to the Klavenes’ own accounts from company funds than had been received by the company.

Mr Knut Klavenes Snr is the sole director and shareholder in KCL, which operated a labour hire business for construction in Auckland. In 2011 another company, Klavenes Construction (Tonga) Ltd (KCL Tonga), was incorporated in Tonga and operated a construction business.

KCL turned over more than $2 million in the 2015 and 2016 financial years. A large part of that money was into the Klaveneses’ personal bank accounts without formal records or accounting. KCL funds were used for KCL Tonga expenditure.

The funds were mixed, without formal accounts or records aside from bank statements. KCL never filed tax returns or paid tax. It did not have an accountant or prepare any financial accounts.

In  September  2015,  KCL  ceased  trading after defaulting on a debt of $253,000 to Dayle Timber Ltd for building materials supplied for KCL Tonga’s building projects.

KCL Tonga was placed in liquidation on October 14, 2016 and two days later KCL was placed in liquidation on application by Dayle Timber Ltd.

Significant payments were made towards KCL Tonga’s operating costs, with $439,096.85 being passed from KCL to KCL Tonga’s suppliers.   Similarly, the Klavenes Jnr received $236,295.44 from KCL and paid it to KCL Tonga.

Mr Justice Palmer said money passed on from KCL to KCL Tonga could not be recovered from Mr and Mrs Klavenes  because they did  not receive the money.

The judge allowed the recovery of $128,124.99 from the Klaveneses and $16,030.26 from Mr Klavenes Jnr, plus interest.

Repeat sex offender Taniela Kepa jailed for attacks on 7-year-old

By
Kalino Latu
-

A repeat child sex offender in Auckland, New Zealand has been sentenced to preventive detention with a minimum non-parole period of 8 years and three months.

Glen Taniela Kepa, 41, was found guilty by a jury in the District Court of three counts of rape,  two counts of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection (one of them representative),  two counts of assault with intent to injure  and one representative count for indecent assault on a child.

The victim of all of the offences was a young girl who lived next door to Kepa’s partner’s house while Kepa was serving a sentence for sexually violating a 6-year-old girl. He was also convicted for beating her brother who confronted Kepa over the offending. Kepa choked the boy and swung him around the room, causing him to bang into the bedroom walls and the bed.

The 6-year-old girl committed suicide 10 years later.

The court heard his second victim had slept over at Kepa’s house, before he woke her up one morning and took her to a couch and raped her.

He threatened to kill her or her little sister if she told anyone.

At one stage when the victim refused Kepa he put both his hands around her neck, choking her until she could almost not breathe, only letting go when she nearly passed out.

The victim moved away in 2013 but continued to visit her grandmother during the holidays.

Kepa and her partner had separated and he moved into the victim’s grandmother’s house and started a relationship with her.

On one occasion her grandmother left her and her younger sister alone with Kepa.

The victim was watching TV in the lounge by the fire, and Kepa grabbed her hair and laid her on the floor.

He raped her and pulled a burning log and hit her with it.

The victim told the court she recalled being terrified.

“When you heard the grandmother’s car come back, you made her put her clothes back on and pretend to be asleep on the couch,” Justice Courtney told Kepa.

“You received a first strike warning when you were convicted in the District Court and I am going to repeat that.  If you are convicted of any serious violent offence other than murder or any sexual offence other than murder that is a qualifying offence.

“If the Judge imposes a term of imprisonment on you in the event of you committing such offences, you will serve that sentence without parole or early release.  If you are convicted of murder committed after this warning, you must be sentenced to life imprisonment and that will be served without parole unless it would be manifestly unjust to do so, and in that event the Judge must sentence you to a minimum period of imprisonment.

“I also record that you will be required to be registered on the Child Sex Offender Register.”

Tongan hitman jailed in Australia for Double Bay stabbing death

By
Kalino Latu
-

A Tongan man of 51 who was hired to kill a wife 28 years ago was sentenced 20 years jail with a non-parole period of 15 years for the murder on Thursday in Sydney.

Former Kings Cross bouncer Alani Afu, 51 — who carried out Mrs Rita Caleo’s murder for at least $10,000.

“He carried out his master’s bidding with little or no hesitation,” Justice Robert Allan Hulme said.

Mark Caleo, now 55, was sentenced to 12 years jail with a non-parole period of nine years for hiring Afu to stab his wife 23 times, at the family’s Double Bay townhouse in August 1990.

According to Sydney media, a damning note hidden by a Sydney victim just three months before she was killed has helped send her former restaurateur husband to jail for soliciting her murder.

Rita Caleo was so worried after her brother Dr Michael Chye’s shooting death — which has never been solved — that she gave her solicitor a sealed envelope which read: “To be opened only if my death is unnatural”.

Three months later, at 39-years-old, she was dead.

Earlier this year, Mark was acquitted of soliciting the murder of his wife’s brother, Dr Michael Chye, 39, who was shot in the head as he drove into his Woollahra home in October 1989. Dr Chye’s killer has never been charged.

Mrs Caleo’s sister Angelina Chye previously told the court how she had not been able to attend her funeral because it was deemed unsafe for the surviving siblings to be there.

Instead, “I sat crying in my room, grieving,” Ms Chye said in her impact statement.

“Mark Caleo and Alan Afu have had the freedom to carry on with their normal everyday lives.

But for the last 30 years, the family had been living in pain, anger and helplessness.

“Now, we have a freedom,” Ms Chye said.

How it all went down

Caleo was out the night she was stabbed to death in the family’s Double Bay home, in Sydney’s ritzy eastern suburbs, on August 10, 1990. Ms Caleo had spent the night at a dinner party with friends before walking up the stairs to her townhouse after midnight. Afu, who was 23 at the time, slipped in through a balcony door which Ms Caleo’s husband had cunningly left unlocked for him earlier that day. The hitman stabbed Ms Caleo 23 times, leaving her to bleed to death on the bathroom floor. The couple’s two daughters were asleep in the bedroom next door during the frenzied attack. It was their nanny who found their mother unconscious in a pool of blood after hearing “faint whining” sounds.

Caleo told police his wife’s murder was a robbery gone wrong.

But what the former Sydney restaurateur didn’t know at the time was that Ms Caleo had left behind an incriminating note — one that predicted her death and implicated him directly.

“In the event that my death is unnatural, direct the investigation to my husband Mark Caleo …” the handwritten letter read.

“My brother’s death is also their doing.”

Her brother, Dr Michael Chye, 36, was fatally shot in the head in his Woollahra home in October the year before.

“(Mark) gets very desperate when he is squeezed financially like what I’m doing to him as a result of his affair … this is the absolute truth — please do not let Mark get away with this,” it continued.

Mrs Caleo left the note, dated May 15th, 1990, with her lawyer who produced it after the mother’s murder.

She also wrote her husband out of her will amid suspicions he was having an affair with her friend Janice Yap.

Rick Damelian, who sold the family a number of vehicles, was also named in Mrs Caleo’s letter but is not suspected of any involvement in her death or her brother’s death, nor is he facing any charges in relation to the matter. He has denied any involvement.

Rita Caleo handed this letter to her lawyer three months before she was murdered.Source:Channel 9

The Crown’s main witness — Caleo’s former employee, Anthony Stambolis — testified that his boss told him to offer $10,000 to find someone to kill his wife and to make it look like a robbery gone wrong.

When the couple first met, she was 35 and he was 22. They opened a chain of Italian restaurants — including one in Sydney’s Queen Victoria Building — and went on to become millionaires.

NZ passengers to Tonga allowed to carry fruits without quarantine certificate

By
Kalino Latu
-

Passengers from New Zealand who wanted fruits to take with them to Tonga can now be able to carry up to 20 kg of selected fruits without a phytosanitary certificate, Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry, Food and Fisheries (MAFFF) said.

The passengers only required to show evidence that the fruit was purchased in New Zealand by providing an original receipt as proof of purchase.

Consignment weighing more than 20 kg per adult passenger will be confiscated.

Previously, passengers who wanted to send fruits to Tonga from New Zealand must get an approved export certificate from New Zealand’s Ministry of Primary Industry. It has to be provided to the kingdom’s Quarantine officials at the airport to help clear the fruits.

Any fruits passengers have carried with them but they were not purchased in New Zealand will be destroyed, MAFF said.

If fruits do not meet the importation requirements it may be confiscated and destroyed.

Passengers from Australia were not allowed to bring fruits to the kingdom because of fruit fly threat, it said.

The fruit fly is one of the most destructive of the 4500 fruit flies in the world.

“It is fond of fleshy fruits such as avocado, citrus, tomato, guava, feijoa, grape, peppers, persimmon, pipfruit, berryfruit and stonefruit.”

The public announcement came after Kaniva news reported in 2016 that MAFFF was concerned at the number of cases where goods have to be confiscated and destroyed because their senders have ignored or do not understand the rules on importing meat and fruit.

“Passenger accompanied fruit from Australia is prohibited and will be confiscated and destroyed due to the risks of fruit fly Fruits allowed into Tonga from New Zealand are listed in table1 below.

“Remember to declare the fruits on your arrival card and show the receipts. “No show of receipts can also lead to confiscation and eventual destruction,” MAFF said.

The passenger must show evidence that the fruit was purchased in New Zealand by providing an original receipt as proof of purchase.

Accompanied fruits that were not purchased in New Zealand will be destroyed.

Consignment exceeding the 20 kg limit per adult passenger will be confiscated.

Consignment purchased in New Zealand without proof of purchase will be confiscated.

Plant Import Permits and Quarantine Entry will be issued at Fua’amotu Airport after Inspection of fruit.

List of fruits allowed from New Zealand

Fruits’ Scientific Names:

Apple (fresh fruit) Malus spp.
Avocado (fresh fruit) Persea americana
Balsam pear Momordica charantia
Blueberry Vaccinium spp.
Cape gooseberry Physalis peruviana
Cardoon Cynara cardunculus
Citrus (fresh fruit) Citrus spp.
Cranberry (fresh fruit) Vaccinium macrocarpon
Currant (fresh fruit) Ribe spp.
Feijoa (fresh fruit) Feijoa sellowiana
Grape (fresh fruit) Vitis spp.
Nashi fruit(fresh fruit) Pyrus pyrifolia
Olive Oleae uropea
Pear (fresh fruit) Pyrus communis
Nectarine (fresh fruit) Prunus persica
Kiwifruits (fresh fruit) Actinidia deliciosa
Pepino (pear melon ) Solanum muricatum
Persimmon (fresh fruit) Diospyros virginiana
Apricot (fresh fruit) Prunus armeniaca
Peach (fresh fruit) Prunus persica
Cherry (fresh fruit) Prunus spp.
Strawberry (fresh fruit) Fragaria ananassa
Cumquat (kumquat )(fresh fruit) Fortunella margarita
Lemon (fresh fruit) Citrus limon
Mandarin (fresh fruit) Citrus reticulata
Orange (fresh fruit) Citrus sinensis
Plum (fresh fruit) Purunus domestica
Satsuma mandarin(fresh fruit) Citrus reticulata
Citrus Seville orange (fresh) Citrus aurantium
Lychee (fresh fruit) Litchi chinensis
Nashi (fresh fruit) Pyrus spp.
Persimmon (fresh fruit) Diospyros khaki
Mango (fresh fruit) Mangifera indica

Son’s medical needs provided exceptional humanitarian grounds to stay, Tribunal finds

By
Philip Cass
-

A Tongan family’s need for their son to have constant medical supervision and treatment of a kind unavailable in the kingdom has led to them being allowed to stay in New Zealand.

The Immigration and Protection Tribunal recently granted permission for Talaivosa and Suliana Tu’uholoaki and three of their children to remain in the country.

The tribunal found there were exceptional humanitarian circumstances for allowing them to stay.

The appellant and their four children entered New Zealand in December 2007 as visitors.

The following year the parents were granted four-month seasonal work visas. When expired they remained here unlawfully.

In June 2010, the family’s residence application was declined.

In June 2012 the appellants were granted one-year work visas as their younger son required ongoing medical treatment for extensive injuries sustained in an accident in November 2010.

In July 2013, their work visas were renewed for a further two years, then further renewed in November 2015 and in September 2016. All renewals were granted as an exception to instructions to allow the family to remain in New Zealand so that the younger son could continue to access medical treatment and be monitored by his doctors.

The Tribunal said the focus of the family’s latest appeal to stay was the situation of their three dependent children. The parents asked that they be able to stay permanently as they have spent most of their lives in New Zealand and been educated here and were not used to the deprivations they would experience in Tonga. The  younger son has significant medical needs.

The 11-year-old suffered a serious accident in November 2010 and sustained significant internal injuries.

He had undergone numerous operations and remains under surveillance. He also needs to have access to further support should any complications arise, the Tribunal said.

There was no paediatric urologist or other specialist support  in Tonga to undertake reviews or able to deal with any complications should they arise.

“The three children have spent more than 10 years living in New Zealand and it is now effectively their home,” the Tribunal said.

“Deportation will deprive them of their future hopes, disrupt their education and deprive the youngest son of specialist medical oversight.

“It would be unjust and unduly harsh for the appellants and their three dependent children to be deported from New Zealand.

“The Tribunal orders that the appellants and their three dependent children be granted resident visas.”

Criminal record tells against young Tongan’s appeal against deportation order

By
Philip Cass
-

The Immigration and Protection Tribunal recently found against Puluno Latu, who had tried to overturn the order to return to Tonga on humanitarian grounds.

Latu, 23, argued that deportation would cause hardship because he would be separated from his immediate family and his daughter.

Latu had been convicted of a range of offences in New Zealand,, including two of injuring with intent to injure, two of threatening to kill or do grievous bodily harm, one of assault with intent to injure and three of male assaults female.

Latu was brought to New Zealand with other siblings on a visitor’s by his mother in 2006, when he was 12. His father, who he described as violent, had criminal convictions and was not offered a visa.

Latu was unable to settle in to school because of language problems and was bullied. He attended three schools before leaving altogether. He undertook a number of manual jobs, but became addicted to methamphetamine.

He became violent and assaulted a number of people, including the mother of his child.

In December he was sentenced  to three years and five months’ imprisonment over assaults on his partner, during one of which he held a knife to her throat and fled from police in a car, only being stopped when police laid our road spikes.

He attended a number of rehabilitation courses, but was expelled from one course after he  obtained confidential information about one of the staff and planned to contact them r outside prison.

The Tribunal received submissions from Latu’s family saying his deportation would cause them distress.

“It is evident that they endured much stress and difficulty in re-establishing themselves in New Zealand,” the Tribunal said.

However, the experience had brought the family closer together and made them a close and supportive family.

“Their anguish and distress at the prospect of him being deported is understandable,” the Tribunal said.

“Notwithstanding this, the family has retained close links with the extended family in Tonga and family members return there often.

“The appellant’s mother has siblings on Eua who would be able to provide support for the appellant – a factor which would alleviate her concern about his return.

“Further, it must be evident to the appellant’s mother that he has been unable to settle successfully in New Zealand. She must have been aware of his truancy, expulsion from school, anti-social associates, drug taking and violence towards his partner. She cannot realistically have seen his settlement here as a success.”

Family members and his daughter would be able to visit him in Tonga.

The Tribunal therefore ruled against Latu.

Gov’t reminds Tongans overseas to take advantage of Gita tax-free before August 30

By
Kalino Latu
-

The Ministry of Revenue and Customs has reminded Tongans overseas they only have five more weeks to send foodstuffs and clothing to Tonga without tax and duty.

The exemption which was put in place for six months after cyclone Gita in February will end on 30 August 2018.

The Ministry’s Acting CEO Kelemete Vahe has also reminded that tax and duty free on building materials will continue until February 2020.

Hundreds of containers filled with donated goods had been sent to the kingdom from New Zealand since March while the Auckland community just keeps on giving.

Most of these containers were provided free by some container suppliers in Auckland for families, relatives and friends who wanted to send goods to Tonga.

Gita was labelled the worst storm to hit Tonga in 60 years, with houses levelled, trees knocked over and thousands of residents left without power.

The government has set aside TP$107.32 million in its 2018/19 budget to help the country recover fully from the effects of Cyclone Gita.

The money will be spent over the next three years.

The government will spend TP$59.56 million in the 2018 – 19 fiscal year; TP$33.88 million between 2019-20 and TP$13.88 million in 2020-21.

As Kaniva News reported in February, Tonga was facing a “major food crisis” after cyclone Gita.

In May Red Cross Secretary General Sione Taumoefolau reportedly said the recovery of food and crops did not seem to be too much of an issue on the main island of Tongatapu.

He said up to 400 houses were destroyed and deemed uninhabitable after the storm and many people were still living in makeshift shelters.

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