Home Blog Page 586

Tongan Comanchero bikie is jailed over Canberra brawl

By
Kaniva Staff
-

By MAX MARGAN and ZOE ZACZEK FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

An alleged Tongan Comanchero kingpin has been jailed over his role in a wild strip club brawl, despite denying he was a member of the feared bikie gang.

Paea Talakai pleaded guilty to affray over the infamous 2017 incident at Canberra’s Capital Men’s Club and was on Tuesday sentenced to five months behind bars.

The 27-year-old, who was seen shirtless in CCTV footage shown in court, was among dozens of bikies throwing wild punches during the brutal 10-minute fracas.

About 100 Commancheros were in Canberra for the gang’s ‘national run’ at the time of the fight.

Talakai told the court he was invited by a friend ‘to support him and the run’, but claimed he had no intention of joining the Comancheros.

‘I just thought it would just be a new experience… I just wanted to see what it was about,’ he said, according to the ABC.

Talakai claimed he was only seen wearing Comanchero colours because a person he had never met handed him a club jumper, which he put on.

Prosecutor Anthony Williamson accused Talakai of ‘lying through his teeth’, to which he responded: ‘Certainly not, sir,’ the Canberra Times reported.

Mr Williamson questioned Talakai on why he would be wearing the jumper, knowing there would be repercussions for a non-member who donned club colours.

‘You knew there was a risk of violence by wearing a Comancheros top when you are not a member and you wore it anyway,’ Mr Williamson said, according to the ABC.

The prosecutor told the court Talakai’s explanation was ‘utterly ridiculous’.

Magistrate Glenn Theakston agreed and sentenced Talakai to five months jail and a four-month good behaviour order.

Five more alleged Comanchero members are expected front court over the incident in the coming weeks.

The fight began when an argument broke out among a small group of men in a smoking section, before it escalated and spilled into the main area of the club.

Dozens of bikies were seen in CCTV footage abandoning their drinks, ripping off their t-shirts and throwing fierce punches in all directions.

The footage showed one man lying unconscious on the ground as he was repeatedly kicked and punched.

Male model gang member, Hasan Topal allegedly earned his stripes at the 2017 altercation after he smashed a glass into his own face at the strip club.

It is understood an internal dispute between Victoria and New South Wales Comanchero factions may have fuelled the violence.

Palu Aviation apologises as complainants thank Kaniva for its part on getting their money back  

By
Kalino Latu
-

Palu Aviation CEO Tēvita Palu has apologised to a family which has been complaining about his company for not paying container company fees, not telling the truth and failing to honour promises.

The apologies – and a refund – came after Kaniva News stepped in to help.

The owner of the Real Tonga Airline also said he was aware of the many shortfalls that had arisen from the services at his office in Auckland, New Zealand.

Palu said the staff involved in the incidents no longer worked for his shipping and freight services.

He said concerned customers had been repaid and his freight and shipping services had been restructured to make sure there would be no more complaints.

Palu was responding after Kaniva News contacted him about a complaint we received from some of his customers who sent containers to Tonga from Auckland.

Sione Vea told us he had been chasing the company’s agent in Auckland to pay back NZ$2600 owed to him after he paid double so that a container company in Tonga would release his container, which Palu Aviation sent to the  kingdom in February.

Vea said he paid NZ$3100 to the Palu Aviation office in Ōtāhuhu for his 20 foot container full of building materials and he flew to Tonga in February to receive it.

But when he reached Tonga he discovered the container company would not release the container.

When he contacted Palu Aviation office in Tonga they blamed their office in Auckland.

When he contacted the office in Auckland they pointed their fingers at their office in Tonga.

“It’s really a headache to see these people lying,” Vea said in Tongan.

Vea’s children in Auckland decided to get involved and contacted the Palu Aviation office in Ōtāhuhu, Auckland. They told the office  they had the paperwork showing their father had paid for his container and that it should be cleared once it arrived in Tonga.

They were told to contact their office in Tonga.

Sione’s daughter Mele told Kaniva News she was so frustrated and stressed after a series of text exchanges between her and the office.

She said the company representative claimed he had done his best to release the container in March. After weeks of promises he finally texted her saying he no longer worked for Palu Aviation.

Mele said her father had suffered a stroke in the past and she had  been concerned he might become ill again because of the problems.

She said after an inquiry she found out that Palu Aviation hired the container they used to send the building materials to Tonga from an Auckland container company for NZ$2600.

She then contacted the container company’s office in Auckland and was told his father’s container could not be released because Palu Aviation had not paid their $2600 fee.

She said she and her father decided to pay another $2600 to the container company so they could release the container in Tonga and leave the payment they made to Palu Aviation to deal with it later.

Mele said after about four months of chasing around with Palu Aviation his father consulted a lawyer in Auckland, but this was not helpful. Then Vea listened to the Kaniva Tonga Radio programme in June in which the editor Kalino Lātū talked about a case in which a Samoan chief conned some Tongan women into buying fake Samoan fine mats.

They decided to try Kaniva Tonga news.

On June 22, after Kaniva contacted Palu Aviation CEO Tēvita Palu, the company re-funded the NZ$2600.

“Thank you for your help as we know if it wasn’t for you they would not give our money back,” Mele told us.

“Thank you so much. We appreciate your hard work and trying to help us.”

School furniture donated by New Zealand to assist schools damaged by Cyclone Gita

By
Kaniva Staff
-

As part of the New Zealand Government efforts to assist Tonga’s recovery efforts post-Cyclone Gita, school furniture valued at more than NZ$100,000 has been donated by the New Zealand Ministry of Education to assist Tongan schools damaged by the cyclone.

This morning saw the official handover of the furniture by the New Zealand High Commissioner, HE Tiffany Babington to the Chief Executive of the Ministry of Education and Training (MET), Mr Claude Tupou at MET’s store at the Tu’i Matamoana wharf

HE Tiffany Babington thanked the New Zealand Ministry of Education for its support and contribution to the schools that were affected by TC Gita. “This support will help the schools that suffered damage during Cyclone Gita better function and ensure school children are better equipped to continue their education.”

“The New Zealand Ministry of Education organised the collection of the school furniture, which was donated by schools around New Zealand including some that had experienced the impact of natural disasters like Christchurch.”

The 10 containers of furniture that have arrived in Tonga include desks, desk chairs for primary and secondary schools, and school tables.

Mr Claude Tupou said, “We are most grateful for the donation of furniture for schools that were most affected by Cyclone Gita. This generous donation will benefit government and non-government schools, and will contribute to restoring a positive learning environment for our students.”

The Education Cluster is coordinating the distribution of the furniture which it hopes to complete the distribution by the end of August.

New Zealand’s other contributions to Tonga’s education sector post-Cyclone Gita have included the tents and school kits provided by UNICEF, fuel to run the school buses, and NZ$2.4 million (approximately T$3.7 million) in budget support which has been used to reprint curriculum materials.

Latu allegedly confesses to ‘bodies in the box’ murders in Australia

By
Kaniva Staff
-

A Tongan man in Australia was one of the eight men who had been charged over the Logan toolbox double murder after he allegedly confessed to police but they didn’t record it.

Webbstar Latu was committed to stand trial last month, after his defence barristers conceded there was enough evidence to send his case to the Supreme Court.

The victims, Cory Breton, 28, and Iuliana Triscaru, 31 were last seen alive on January 24 last year and their bodies were found in the locked metal box in a Kingston dam 18 days later by police.

Chad Galbraith told the Brisbane Magistrates Court he was in the Brisbane watch house with Mr Latu in February 2016, ABC reported.

The bodies of the couple were found in February 2016, 18 days after they were last seen alive. It is alleged they were killed over a drug debt.

The couple were locked in a large metal box that had been submerged in a dam in Kingston, south of Brisbane.

In a police statement read out in court, Mr Galbraith said Mr Latu started talking to him and he “just started crying.”

“He started telling me he had been implicated in something he had not done,” Mr Galbraith told police.

Webbstar Latu pictured in a McDonalds with an infant.

PHOTO: Webbstar Latu has been committed to stand trial for the alleged murders. (Facebook: Webbstar Latu )

Mr Galbraith, who was giving evidence via video link, said Mr Latu then told him that he had gone to the murder scene and “had been threatened to move a toolbox that had bodies in it”.

“That he had gone to the house where this had all happened — prior to getting there, when he got there, people had already been bashed and interrogated,” he said.

“He said he was threatened to move the toolbox otherwise he would be in the toolbox with these people.”

Mr Galbraith said Mr Latu said he was also threatened with a gun.

“That is what he told me,” he said.

Mr Galbraith, who has admitted to regularly using ice and marijuana, said Mr Latu went on to admit he had helped move the bodies in the toolbox, but he had only gone to the house originally to collect money.

Mr Galbraith later admitted to being confused as to whether the alleged killer also told him he helped take the toolbox to the Logan dam where it was disposed of.

“He told me he was present, I am not mistaken,” he initially told the court.

But under cross-examination from Mr Latu’s barrister Angus Edwards, he was asked: “So you were told he was present when the toolbox was put in the car, but not at the dam?”

“That is possible,” he replied.

The others committed to stand trial are Trent Thrupp, Tuhirangi-Thomas Tahiata, Davy Taiao, Ngatokoona “Chanel” Marieti, Stou Daniels, Tepuna Mariri and Waylon Ngaketo Cowan Walker.

Prayers for the accused

Mr Galbraith said he was a Christian and prayed for Mr Latu in jail, but he did not think to pray for the murdered couple.

“I tried to put the whole thing out of my head,” he said.

“So you just put the details aside?” Mr Edwards asked.

“When it came to the murders yes, but thinking about the guys who committed it, no, I prayed for them. So I thought about it differently.”

He also admitted to knowing murdered man Corey Breton as he was his drug dealer and “a friend”.

‘I thought I was going to die’: Timani claims he was bashed and bundled into car

By
Kaniva Staff
-
By Georgina Robinson, Sydney Morning Herald.

Australian rugby player Lopeti Timani claims he was repeatedly bashed and bundled into a car in a vicious attack at the hands of teammate and childhood friend Amanaki Mafi in New Zealand a week ago.

Timani claims he endured four hours of terror in south Dunedin after Mafi and his older brother set upon the towering former Wallaby over a swear word Timani used in front of the Mafis’ sister, who was present at the time.

Timani, 27, claims he fled the house in fear of his life, was hunted down and bashed again in a nearby park, then dragged into a car and driven around town, before eventually fleeing at traffic lights and hiding in a bush.

Mafi has been charged with assault over the allegations.

The 195cm, 123kg Timani, who decided to tell his side of the story after being contacted by Fairfax Media, said at one point he lay on the ground in a park, pleading with his assailants to stop, and wondered whether he would die there. All the while Timani’s eldest brother, Sione, whom he had called in tears after fleeing the house, listened to the attack, helpless from his base in France.

“His brother tried to hold me as ‘Naki’ [Mafi] started punching me in the face,” Timani recalled.

“I said, ‘Mate, why are you doing this to me, I thought you were my teammate, I know your family, are you punching me because you’re angry because I said something offensive to your family?’

“He was just punching me and he said ‘because I’m telling you now I’m the man, I’m the man’. I thought they were going to kill me. I thought I was going to die.”

Timani alleges that Mafi and his brother then dragged him by his shirt to their car and held him by his jumper collar as Mafi’s brother drove around town.

“I didn’t know where they were trying to take me. Naki was just swearing at me in the Tongan rude way. I decided if the car stopped at a red light I would run and try to get back to the hotel.”

When the car pulled up at the next intersection, Timani bolted. He claims he ran 200 metres or so before hiding in a bush on the main street and waiting there for 20 minutes, watching out for the Mafis’ car, before flagging down a cab. He made it back to the team hotel, the Scenic Circle Southern Cross, at about 6am.

The origin of the attack came under circumstances in which Timani is not proud. He and Mafi, who were in the same year at well-known school Tongan College ‘Atele, have been fined $15,000 for being out drinking, in contravention of team protocol. Timani admitted he and Mafi were drinking with Mafi’s relatives while they watched the match between the Sharks and Jaguares in Durban at 1am on Sunday, a game on which the Rebels’ season depended.

Mafi had invited Timani for dinner at his brother’s house after the Rebels’ loss to the Highlanders on Saturday night. Timani partook in the family meal and things kicked on as they waited to learn whether the Rebels would be playing in the Super Rugby finals. Timani described a relaxed atmosphere, with the group sharing some laughs and Mafi dancing, before things soured.

“[It was] dumb to be doing that [drinking],” he said. “Naki got offended because I said something offensive in front of his sister, so he started having a go at me, saying I was saying something rude. We had an argument, I was trying to tell him I was sorry and ‘I didn’t mean to make you angry or offend anyone’.

“He started throwing a punch at me … his older brother was standing on the side and at that time I thought he was going to stop us or tell Naki to calm down because I’d said sorry … then his brother decided he would punch me on my face, from the side, and then started bashing me and knocked me [down].

“I was trying to get back on my feet, to get off the ground, and I decided to run, because I felt something was wrong. I got out the door and ran. My face was bleeding and I was crying, so I called my brother, because I didn’t know who to call.”

Sione Timani tried to calm down his younger brother, but Timani believes it was the blue light of the phone in the dark that led his alleged attackers to him in the park.

“I heard someone say, ‘There’s Lopeti’ … They chased me again and caught me and started bashing me and kicking me on the ground,” he said.

Timani dropped his phone when they allegedly set upon him again, but his brother stayed on the line from France, forced to listen while the attack continued and then when the line went silent, while Timani was bundled into the nearby car.

By the time the taxi dropped Timani back at his hotel, police officers were waiting for him. Fearing for his youngest brother’s life, Sione Timani had called every police station and hospital in the city, searching for him.

“They thought I’d died,” Timani said. “He told me he listened for an hour and then my phone [went] off.”

Police took multiple statements from Timani and charged Mafi later that day with injuring with intent to injure, a charge that carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment.

The 28-year-old Japan international appeared in the Dunedin District Court on Monday and was granted bail on the condition he did not associate with his alleged victim. It is understood that Mafi’s version of events includes that Timani used a swear word in front of Mafi’s female relatives.

Both men are leaving the club at season’s end, with Timani and his fiancee, Goldy Floyd, moving to France to take up a contract with La Rochelle.

Timani said he suffered severe facial and bone bruising, bleeding in his ears and concussion symptoms. He was stitched up by the Rebels team doctor and underwent scans in hospital, before being cleared of any major injury. He said he was seeing a counsellor in Melbourne on Saturday to help process what happened.

“I’m speaking because I want people to know it wasn’t just a fight between two players,” he said. “I can’t stop thinking about what happened, I wake up and it’s just running through my head.”

Tupou IV wharf still not in service, but opens to public functions as alumni boost economy

By
Kalino Latu
-

The new Taufa’āhau Tupou IV Domestic wharf is still not opened for public services, with Deputy Prime Minister Hon Sēmisi Sika reportedly blaming delay on Cyclone Gita.

However, the new wharf building, which was funded by a multi-million dollar grant from Japan, is open to host any community functions.

The Liahona-Sainehā High Schools alumni were the first to use the new wharf building early this month for their global reunion celebrations.

Hon Sēmisi Sika, who is one of the leaders of the alumni association,  said hundreds of members of the alumni came from overseas left a lot of money in Tonga.

They also donated a lot of money for the Tongan alumni chapter, but Hon Sika  did not give an exact figure.

Hon Sika said the building, which was  built under the Japanese TP$66 million grant, was open to people who wanted to use it for any community events and it was free.

King Tupou VI opened the Domestic Terminal on June 1, separating the domestic wharf from the International wharf known as Queen Sālote and the Cruise ship wharf known as Vuna.

Kaniva News reported Tongan Port Authorities CEO Mōsese Lavemai at the time as saying the new domestic wharf was “the most advanced and modern in the Pacific except Australia and New Zealand.”

Hon Sika reportedly said the wharf and dock areas were still not available for public services because of the damage caused by Tropical cyclone Gita in February.

He said the Fā’onelua convention centre had been damaged by Gita, leaving Nuku’alofa with hardly any good public community buildings to host big events.

Hon Sika said the Japanese government was aware of the situation.

For more information:

US chapters celebrate Liahona-Saineha reunion 2014

King names new domestic wharf after his father – Taufa’āhau Tupou IV

Police arrest Tonga Chamber suspected thief caught on  CCTV

By
Kalino Latu
-

Police have arrested the suspect who stole goods and cash worth of thousands in two break-ins.

A 37-year-old man was in Police custody in relation to a Tonga Chamber of Commerce office which was situated at the old Molisi Tonga building in Fasi.

As Kaniva News reported last week, the suspect broke into the office during the second incident to get to a liquor and a retailed store next door at 6am Sunday 8.

Police reportedly said the suspect allegedly stole a laptop, hard drive and other goods valued at over $3,000 pa’anga.

Police also said the suspect lived in the area.

Police investigation continues.

The office was where the Tonga Business Enterprises Centre, a branch of the Tonga Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is operated.

The office is funded by the New Zealand government.

TRU boss accuses team manager of holding up funding for Sevens Olympic support

By
Philip Cass
-

Tonga Rugby Union CEO Fe’ao Vunipola has accused ‘Ikale Tahi manager ‘Inoke Afeaki of holding up the TRU’s application for Seven’s funding from the Olympic Solidarity Funds.

“Ever since Sevens became an Olympic Sport, funding from World Rugby consolidated with Olympic funding hence TRU must apply via Tasanoc and Oceania Rugby,” Vunipola said.

“This is a lot of money that could help our Sevens but so far, nothing had been forthcoming.”

Vunipola’s accusations are the latest in a series of public spats between the two rugby officials.

Afeaki claimed earlier this month that ‘Ikale Tahi had not been paid because the TRU had exhausted its TP$400,000 budget.

Vunipola hit back, saying Afeaki had been told the pay would be late but that he did not tell the players.

“TRU agreed to ignore his critiques and be the bigger man and forgave his childish outbursts for the benefit of rugby union in Tonga,” he said.

Afeaki said this week player bank accounts had been supplied to the TRU, but no payments had been made.

“The PM had to sign a grant to make money available to pay the allowances on May 30,” Afeaki said.

The list of players’ bank accounts were provided on May 29, but did not begin arriving until June 25.

“I am pretty careful with government funds,” Afeaki said.

“I worked for five years for the Singapore Rugby Union as its Technical Director and was accountable for tax payers’  money.

“If I was found to be misusing or mismanaging tax payers’ money, I would be looking at jail time.

“I don’t like the PM being made to bail out people who don’t do their job properly.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Shortly after this story was published last night Vunipola contacted Kaniva News and clarified the role of TRU in regards to Ikale Tahi players’ pay.

This is what he said: “TRU had played no part in player’s allowance.

“Players account were directly submitted from Lano Fonua to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Finance.

“We wanted to clear our hands of any issues that may arise in the future of which Inoke had recently accused us of.”

Tonga lags on plastic bag ban as SPREP warns Islands cannot be complacent about pollution

By
Philip Cass
-

Eight million tonnes of plastic are added to the Pacific each year, but Tonga has still not joined the growing number of Pacific islands banning single use plastic bags.

Vanuatu has already banned the bags, as have other Pacific nations that have banned single use plastic shopping bags include, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Pohnpei and Yap States of the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

Samoa will ban single use bags and plastic straws by January next year.

Fiji levies a charge on single use plastic shopping bags.

As far back as 2005, the Tongan government was considering banning non-bio-degradable bags and imposing a tax on plastic shopping bags.

The Director for the Environment in Tonga at the time, Uilou Samani, said he would like to see all non-biodegradable bags banned from the country.

The then Finance Minister, Siosiua ‘Utoikamanu, told Radio New Zealand plastic bags had taken their toll on the environment and promoted a throwaway culture which was not part of traditional values.

Tonga eventually imposed a levy on imported plastic bags in July 2013 which is paid by importers.

In 2015 The Rotary Club of Nuku’alofa gave away 1000 reusable bags to try to reduce the number of plastic bags people used.

Nuku’alofa Rotary Club president Peter Poulson said plastic bags were often seen blowing around on the streets, or hanging off trees.

He said people needed to be educated that plastic, glass and tins are not biodegradable, and are bad for the environment.

Pollution Adviser of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Organisation Anthony Talouli said the Pacific islands could not be complacent about plastic pollution.

“Although a lot has been done, there is still lots more to do,” Talpouli said.

He said each year eight million tonnes of plastic made its way into the  ocean.

NZ-Tonga Business Council head optimistic ahead of visit to kingdom in August

By
Philip Cass
-

The New Zealand Tonga Business Council will send a business mission to Tonga next month.

Last year the Council sent a delegation to Tonga in February last year and were optimistic about the opportunities in the kingdom they believed would be generated by the 2019 Pacific Games.

The Tongan government abandoned plans to host the Games  a decision that NZTBC Chair Sione Taufa said would “disappoint” some council members.

Despite this, Taufa appears optimistic ahead of this year’s visit.

He said there was potential for the Council to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Tongan Government.

The nation is still recovering from the impact of Cyclone Gita in February, which devastated much of the main island of Tongatapu.

More help from New Zealand businesses was needed after the devastation caused by Cyclone Gita in February.

He said a number of successful Tongan business people in New Zealand were beginning to identify Tonga in the wake of the Pacer Plus agreement.

Increasing tourism numbers were also important for the growth of the kingdom’s economy.

“Our neighbours in Fiji, Samoa and the Cook Islands have all benefited from the rise in visitor numbers, so there is significant potential and opportunity for Tonga,” Taufa said.

1...585586587...954Page 586 of 954