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Tongan man overturns debt collector, Auckland Transport’s fine demand

By
Kalino Latu
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A young man whom Auckland Transport and Baycorp debt collector repeatedly scared with a payment demand has persuaded them to back off.

Petelō Lātū, 22, was fined $200 dollars and told to pay it within 28 days or face further action.

After disputing the fine, seeking advice from police and checking the law, Lātū has received a letter saying he does not have to pay anything.

The fine came after Lātū received an infringement notice on January 27 this year after he parked his Mitsubishi Galant car on Walters Rd, Kingsland.

The notice claimed Lātū, as the owner of the car, contravened the Land Transport Act 1998 by using a vehicle on a road when there was not affixed to it and displayed in the manner prescribed the registration plates issued to the vehicle.

After checking the Land Transport Act section 242 (1) Lātū believed the Auckland Transport wronged him.

Dispute

He and his sister Malia contacted Auckland Transport and disputed the notice. They argued that there was nothing wrong with the registration plates as they were affixed to the front and behind bumpers when the Auckland Transport staff ticketed  the car.

A woman who answered the phone insisted Lātū breached the law because the front registration plate was placed at the left side of the bumper and not at the centre.

The woman was told there was no section in the registration plate Acts that obliged the owner of the vehicles to put the registration plates in the centre of the front and behind of the vehicle.

The woman disagreed and told Lātū to pay the fine or face the consequences.

On May 7 Lātū received a “final demand” letter for his fine but this time, it came from Baycorp debt collection agency.

“Important Message Regarding Vehicle Registration JAB715. Auckland Transport has engaged Baycorp to collect payment for your overdue infringement fee on its behalf. You have ignored our previous request for payment.

“Payment of the debt is required in full immediately to avoid any further action being taken.

“If you do not pay the full amount within 10 days from the date of this letter. Baycorp will attempt to contact you at this address and any other known address or phone number.

“We strongly advise you to act promptly and settle this matter to avoid the need for further action,” the letter read.

“Do not ignore this notice

“Your payment is overdue and Auckland Transport intends to take further action without notice.”

Further action 

The Baycorp letter also said: “If unpaid, this account will be referred to the Ministry of Justice by Auckland Transport – for legal action up to and including enforcement proceedings. Further enforcement proceedings can include:

“Additional costs being added to the original fine, ordering your employer to deduct payments from your wages and seizing your property and selling it to pay your outstanding fines.

“Clamping your car until you resolve this debt, issuing a community service, imposing restrictions on overseas travel and releasing your fines information to credit reporting agencies.”

Second dispute

At this stage Lātū recalled he had been driving through a number of Police checkpoints with his  front registration plate being affixed on the left hand side, the same position it had when the Auckland Transport staff issued the controversial fine.

Police officers who inspected the car in those checkpoints did not warn him about the position of his registration plates.

Lātū then sought advice from other Police officers and he was told placing the registration plate on the sides of the bumpers did not contravene the Transport registration plate Acts.

Lātū again contacted the Auckland Transport, but he was told the opportunity for him to launch a second dispute against his infringement notice had expired.

After going through the Auckland Transport website Lātū noticed he could still lodge a second dispute.

This time he told the Auckland Transport about the advice he got from Police officers, the number of checkpoints he had gone through and said Police did not fine or warn him regarding the position of the registration plate.

He also wrote that there was no section in the Land Transport Act section 242 (1) which obliged the owner of the vehicle to place the registration plate in the middle of the bumpers.

He also told Auckland Transport he was planning to take legal action if it insisted that he has to pay the fine.

Apology

On May 24 Lātū received a letter from the Auckland Transport saying that the authority had reviewed its decision on his infringement notice and decided to cancel the notice.

“No payment is required,” the letter read.

“Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

High Commissioner Fane Tupouvava’u Kaho meets Queen Elizabeth II

By
Kaniva Staff
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Hon Titilupe Fanetupouvava’u Kaho has met Queen Elizabeth II at the Buckingham palace today.

The Queen held an audience with Her Excellency on her appointment as Tonga High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.

On Monday the Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific Foreign and Commonwealth Office and MP for the cities of London and Westminster, Mark Field welcomed Hon Kaho to the court of St. James.

Hon Kaho wore a ta’ovala and black attire during the audience to honour the deaths of her aunt HRH Princess Taone Tuku’aho and uncle Siale ‘Ataongo Puloka.

Hon Kaho’s father, Lord Tuita, was Tonga High Commissioner to the UK from 1989 – 1992.

Tulikaki appeals his jail sentence in New South Wales, Australia

By
Kaniva Staff
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A Tongan hotel bouncer has launched an appeal after he was given a seven-month jail sentence on Friday.

He was released on bail later in the day and is expected to reappear at the Orange District Court.

Joseph Tulikaki, 21, of Newport Street, appeared in Orange Local Court where he was given the jail sentence, which included a three-month non-parole period, for assault occasioning actual bodily harm, the Central Western Daily reported.

The charges were laid after Tulikaki, who was employed at a Summer Street hotel as a responsible service of alcohol (RSA) marshal, pushed a patron down three stairs resulting in them breaking their wrist.

According to a police report, the victim had been banned from the hotel after a previous altercation, in which Tulikaki was the victim, and one of the victim’s relatives was charged.

However, the victim was not told he was banned and when Tulikaki told him to leave about 1am on October 21, he reacted angrily and protested the ban saying he was being punished for his relative’s offence.

Although the victim slowly walked backwards towards the door he continued to protest the removal and yelled personal abuse at Tulikaki and threatened to fight.

When they got to a set of three stairs, Tulikaki grabbed the victim and pushed him down.

The victim put out his right hand as he fell and broke his wrist, and when he got up was marched out the door.

The victim’s right distal radius was broken and required surgery, he had to have plates and screws installed and was told he’d be unfit for work for six months.

Tulikaki’s solicitor Mason Manwaring said his client was only 20 years old at the time of the offence and his reaction was out of character.

“He says the abuse that was directed at him got to him,” Mr Manwaring said.

Tulikaki had a clean criminal record and positive references including from members of the Rural Fire Service and junior sport he volunteers with.

However, magistrate David Day said because he breached the trust of his position and severely injured the victim, the offence should incur a custodial sentence.

“People speak very highly of him and he has ambitions to end up being a paramedic,” Mr Day said.

He said a need for general deterrence also required a jail sentence.

“In my career on the bench your client is the second and second only RSA marshal that’s come before me [as an offender],” Mr Day said to Mr Manwaring.

Vava’u family say man allegedly commit suicide after embarrassing video went viral

By
Kalino Latu
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A family member said his cousin allegedly committed suicide after an embarrassing video surreptitiously taken of him in a kava drinking party went viral and led to him being bullied online.

We can now reveal the deceased’s name as Sione Vaikele Fifita.

According to the video which was uploaded to Facebook a week before Fifita died, a man was seen pelting an object at another man.

The thrower was later identified as Fifita.

Fifita was also seen walking to the man and apparently slapping him with his hand.

Some commenters on social media criticised and condemned Fifita’s action.

A friend who used to drink kava with Fifita said he was outgoing and outspoken and that his death came as a huge shock.

Relatives and friends of the deceased described him on social media as a family man.

Another described him as a man with a quality of character and nobility of soul.

It is understood Police have confiscated a gun following Fifita’s death.

Police are not looking for anyone else in connection to the incident.

Neiafu Town Officer Vava Lapota earlier told Kaniva News an inquest was expected to be held to look into the causes and circumstances around Fifita’s death.

For further information

Man dies in suspicious circumstances in Vava’u

North Korea makes ‘rapid’ improvements to rocket sites despite vow to destroy nukes

By
Kaniva Staff
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North Korea has made ‘rapid’ improvements to a major nuclear site despite Kim Jong-un vowing to dismantle his regime’s arsenal when he met Donald Trump at the landmark Singapore summit.

“Satellite images from last week show that North Korea is making numerous improvements to the infrastructure at a nuclear research facility,” The Hill reports.

“The images, obtained by North Korea analysis outlet 38 North, come just weeks after President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed an agreement that called for a denuclearized Korean peninsula.

The images from 21 June showed several new buildings, including an engineering office and a driveway to a building which houses a nuclear reactor.

But they added: “Continued work at the Yongbyon facility should not be seen as having any relationship to North Korea’s pledge to denuclearise.

“The North’s nuclear cadre can be expected to proceed with business as usual until specific orders are issued from Pyongyang.”

Captions for the satellite images noted that there was no vapour seen from the cooling tower and no visible steam plumes.

What exactly did Trump and Kim sign up for at the summit?

Earlier in June, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met Donald Trump in Singapore and promised to “work toward” the goal of denuclearisation

The president hailed the agreement as “total denuclearisation, which is already taking place” but a timeline for the process had not been clearly defined.

In May, North Korea blew up its only nuclear test site at Punggye-ri, where it had staged six atomic tests.

Critics, however, said the site had been mostly unusable anyway.

The satellite images were published as US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis and Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe met to discuss how to get North Korea to fulfil the promise it made in Singapore.

While neither mentioned specific issues, it is expected North Korea is top of their agenda.

NZ yacht crew arrested in Fiji after large ammunition stash seized  

By
Kaniva Staff
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Fiji customs and police have taken the captain and two crew-members of a New Zealand based yacht into custody after a search near Savusavu.

The search by Customs Officers led to the seizure of a large quantity of a mix of different ammunition types.

“Customs is the first point of contact for all travel and transit at our borders and we take this responsibility seriously,” Revenue and Customs Chief Executive officer, Mr. Visvanath Das said.

Yet again our intelligence and profiling processes are determining high risk vessels and collaborative efforts with our partners the Fiji Police and Navy has led to this successful seizure”.

“Just last weekend we discovered a massive drug find on an Australian based yacht and once again our officers dutifully exposed another smuggling attempt,” Mr. Das said.

“I commend the collaboration of the relevant Border Enforcement Agencies for their efforts in ensuring that our borders are safe,” he said.

“We will continue to work with local Border Agencies and Customs partners in New Zealand and Australia to ensure we continue to develop best practice processes and procedures to combat illegal trade,” he added.

The Commissioner of Police Brigadier General Sitiveni Qiliho said Fiji continues to quash the notion that a small Pacific Island nation will not be able to effectively police its borders.

“The latest joint operation is again bringing to the forefront the effectiveness of the interagency collaboration between law enforcement agencies both here in Fiji and with international law enforcement partners”.

“The latest seizures and interceptions made at our points of entry shows the increased level of collaboration between all agencies involved, and we continue to look at ways to improve the status quo so that those involved in these illegal trades will know that our borders are being monitored”.

Police investigations continue.

For more information, call Revenue and Customs Manager Marketing, Irene Miller on 9926170 and Police Media, Ana Naisoro on 9905999.

Supreme court finds man not guilty on four charges of carnal knowledge

By
Kaniva Staff
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The Supreme Court has freed a man charged with four counts of carnal knowledge of a girl under 15.

Lord Chief Justice Paulsen found Sione Tautu’a’a afu not guilty on the grounds that he honestly believed the girl to be 18.

The offences were alleged to have occurred on August 7-8, 2017.

The court was told that the girl, referred to in the proceedings as K, and her sister, had run away from home and met the accused in the bush.

They stayed with him and another man and during this period K and Tautu’a’a afu had sex four times.

K said she initiated the sexual contact.

Tautu’a’a afu, who represented himself in court, put it to K that she had told him she was 18.

Evidence was given that at the time she was 13 years and 11 months old.

At the time Tautu’a’a afu was 17.

In an interview with police he said the girls had lived with him for about a month and that they had not told him they had run away.

Lord Chief Justice Paulsen said he was satisfied that Tautu’a’a afu honestly  believed  on  reasonable grounds that K was over the age of 14.

“She could certainly be mistaken for someone older than her years,” the judge said.

He said Tautu’a’a afu had asked K three times how old she was.

The judge found Tautu’a’a afu not guilty on all four counts.

Rugby coach banned for life; $4000 fine after attack on referee in Tongatapu

By
Kalino Latu
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Vainī rugby coach, Venili Vailea, who allegedly punched a referee three times during a rugby match has been banned from the sport for life by the Tonga Rugby Sub-Union committee.

Vailea will never step foot on the field again after his attack left referee Tokomea ‘Ofahulu with minor injuries.

Vaha’i Nau, one of the Vainī rugby players, has been banned for the rest of this year’s rugby union tournament games after he allegedly touched the referee’s hand in an attempt to look at his wristwatch to find out about the time during the controversial game.

The committee has also imposed on Vainī Rugby Union club a fine of TP$4,000 for contravening the rules that govern the Tonga Rugby Union clubs.

The committee made its decisions in a meeting yesterday Tuesday 26 and demanded the fine must be paid in full before this Saturday 30, according to a letter from the Committee seen by Kaniva News.

The letter was addressed to the Vainī rugby club manager Hon Tēvita ‘Unga.

The Vainī rugby team could be banned from the rest of this year’s Tongatapu seasonal rugby tournament games if it failed to pay the fine, the letter said.

The Vainī rugby union team could also be demoted next year to play at level two grade if they could not pay the fine.

A spokesperson for the Vainī team told Kaniva News they will appeal the Committee’s decisions.

He claimed they had filed a formal complaint with the Committee against referee ‘Ofahulu and how he officiated the game. He said the complaint was submitted before the Committee’s meeting yesterday.

The decisions came after ‘Ofahulu who officiated a rugby match between the Vainī team and the Toa Ko Ma’afu rugby team was allegedly attacked.

It is understood the Vainī team and their supporters were unhappy with how ‘Ofahulu controlled the game on Saturday 16.

It appeared the incident occurred after ‘Ofahulu blew the final whistle and ended the game while the Vainī team was attacking. The match ended in a draw.

An eyewitness alleged there was still time after the final whistle was blown and the timekeeper did not indicate to the referee to end the second half.

King’s first cousin dies in Auckland

By
Kaniva Staff
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A first cousin of King Tupou VI, Princess Lavinia Mata ‘o Tāone Ma’afu, died in Auckland on Friday.

The Royal Palace Office has confirmed her death, local news media reported.

The cause of her death has not been formally announced.

Kaniva News has learnt through a number of sources very close to the royals that the Princess’ body is planned to be returned to Tonga this Friday.

Princess Tāone married to Lord Ma’afu Tukui’aulahi and they had two children.

A son by the name of  Hon Tēvita ‘Unga Lausi’i, and a daughter by the name of Hon Fangaake Veikune.

Princess Tāone’s father late Prince Fatafehi Tu’ipelehake was the young brother of King Tupou VI’s late father King Tupou IV.

Her eldest sisters were Princess Mele Siu’ilikutapu, Princess ‘Ofeina ‘E he Langi Fakafanua and late Princess ‘Elisiva Vaha’i.

Her two brothers were late Prince Mailefihi and late Prince Tu’ipelehake.

Gov’t denies Talaki newspaper article claiming Deputy PM owes TP$1million taxes

By
Kalino Latu
-

The Ministry of Revenue and Customs has denied an article by Talaki newspaper printed on 8 May 2018 claiming the Deputy Prime Minister Sēmisi Sika owed the government millions of pa’anga in taxes.

The Ministry’s Acting CEO said in a statement that the article was “false.”

Kaniva News was unable to obtain a copy of the Talaki article.

However, we have seen a similar article published in Tongan by the Nepituno webpage on April 27, 2018 about a week before the Talaki.

The Ministry was contacted about the Nepituno article.

Nepituno claimed Hon Sika owed more than TP$1 million in taxes to government.

The headline of the article alleged the Prime Minister and the Minister of Revenue and Customs attempted to conceal Hon Sika’s unpaid taxes.

The article claimed it obtained its information from a highly placed source.

Nepituno also alleged the former CEO of the Ministry of Revenue and Customs arranged Hon Sika’s debts to be recovered, but the arrangement was withheld after he learned the Prime Minister and his son in law, who is the current Minister of Revenue and Customs, were not happy about it.

This morning the Ministry’s Acting CEO said the  “rumour” was false.

“The Ministry of Revenue and Customs would like to clarify that the contents of the article published on the Talaki Newspaper, issue of the 8th May 2018, page 3, claiming that the Deputy Prime Minister, Hon Semisi Sika owes tax to Government in the millions, is false,” the Acting CEO said.

“Talaki in the same article also reports rumours exchanged on social media that there was directions from high officials in Government for the Ministry not to initiate court recovery of the “millions of tax owed”.

“The Ministry would like to remind the public that there are processes followed by the Ministry in recovering outstanding tax and these processes apply to all taxpayers regardless of social and political status.

“It is disappointing that these false and misleading information are being shared on social media and published in local newspapers without confirmation or authority of the Ministry.

“The Ministry would also like to emphasize to the public that tax information of taxpayers are confidential and would only be disclosed in circumstance specified in the law.

“This protects the interest and confidence of taxpayers that their personal income information are securely kept by the Ministry.

“It is then the duty of the Ministry to ensure that the correct tax is assessed and paid according to the tax information provided by the taxpayer or collected by the Ministry.”

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