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TASANOC condemned for its involvement in PGC’s legal action against gov’t

By
Kalino Latu
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The management of TASANOC had been criticised for its involvement in legal action led by the  Pacific Games Council (PGC) against the Tongan government.

Rugby union, rugby league, golf and netball committee leaders condemned the move during TASANOC’s annual general meeting last week in Nuku’alofa, Tonga Rugby Union (TRU) boss Fe’ao Vunipola told Kaniva News.

Vunipola said these sport committees, which came under the umbrella of the Tonga Federations Sport Association, relied heavily on the government for financial assistances.

The leaders questioned TASANOC’s move and asked why they did not consult them to get their views over the action. Vunipola said they did not support TASANOC’s legal action.

It is understood TASANOC president Lord Tēvita Tupou defended the move during the meeting and said they did it for the “best interest of the members.”

As Kaniva News reported last week, TASANOC and PGC have sought TP$8 million damage from the Tongan government after the kingdom cancelled a 2012 agreement to host the 2019 Pacific Games.

According to the writ of summons issued at the Nuku’alofa Supreme Court on May 15, TASANOC has sought damages of TP$2,612,256,59 from the  government while the PGC sought $TP5,841,924.40.

They seek a total amount of TP$8,497,581.17 in damages.

The  CEO of the 2019 Pacific Games Organising Committee, Lord Sevele said earlier that  only the  TASANOC committee had the prerogative to cancel hosting the Games.

However, the government said the contract for Tonga to host the Games was signed between the Tongan government and the Pacific Games council, not TASANOC.

Hon. Pōhiva said he decided to withdraw from hosting the Games because Tonga could not afford to maintain the sporting facilities after the Games.

Relationship

The dispute came after TASANOC was told last year to stop making excuses and commit itself to paying back its $600,000 loan from the government according to a promise it made.

The call was made by Hon. Saia Piukala, who was the Acting Minister of Internal Affairs and Sports at the time when a TASANOC team met with the Ministry in a bid to secure the loan.

He said he approved the loan after a written agreement between TASANOC and the government was endorsed by the government’s solicitor general.

For more information

Pacific Games Council and TASANOC suing Tonga government

Facebook faces shut down threat in PNG as gov’t plans crack down on fake news

By
Kalino Latu
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Papua New Guinea government said it is taking action against fake Facebook accounts.

It said it will shut down Facebook temporally in order to investigate users of the social media.

“The time will allow information to be collected to identify users that hide behind fake accounts, users that upload pornographic images, users that post false and misleading information on Facebook to be filtered and removed.

“This will allow genuine people with real identities to use the social network responsibly,” Basil said.

Communications Minister Sam Basil said that the Communications and Information Technology Department could better analyse the positive impact it would have on the population during the month-long shutdown and weigh the impact of progress without or with its use.

Basil said that his Ministry was trying to enforce the Cyber Crime Act which was legislated in 2016.

“The Act has already been passed, so what I’m trying to do is to ensure the law is enforced accordingly where perpetrators can be identified and charged accordingly. We cannot allow the abuse of Facebook to continue in the country.

“I will now work closely with the Police for them to be properly trained and informed to fully enforce the Cyber Crime Act.”

Basil said the positives of the social network were there for the people to embrace.

“We can also look at the possibility of creating a new social network site for PNG citizens to use with genuine profiles as well.

“If there need be then we can gather our local applications developers to create a site that is more conducive for Papua New Guineans to communicate within the country and abroad as well,” he said.

Basil said that a time had not been set as yet to implement the options but he would advise depending on assessment of the usage of the site over time.

Kaniva Tonga news has a republication arrangement with PACNEWS. This story appears on PNG’s Post Courier. 

King to open new Taufa’āhau Tupou IV domestic terminal and wharf

By
Kalino Latu
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The new Taufa’āhau Tupou IV Domestic Terminal and Wharf will be commissioned this week June 1 by His Majesty King Tupou VI.

The $66 million wharf was now separate from the International wharf known as Queen Sālote and the Cruise ship wharf known as Vuna.

As Kaniva News reported, Tongan Port Authorities CEO Mōsese Lavemai said the new domestic wharf was “the most advanced and modern in the Pacific except Australia and New Zealand.”

The wharf building was designed to resist earthquakes, tsunamis and cyclones, he said.

The foundations are above sea level to cope with rise in ocean levels.

The wharf facilities were designed to help ships use less fuel during berthing.

The project, being constructed on the western side of Queen Sālote Wharf, includes two ship berthing areas with each having a length of 90 metres and a three story terminal building.

The building was partly powered by solar panels on the roof.

Auckland pedestrian killed in hit and run

By
Kalino Latu
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Auckland Police are looking for witnesses to a fatal hit-and-run incident that killed a man in his 50s in New Lynn last night, police said.

The incident occurred on Great North Rd at 9pm on Monday night.

The victim received first aid at the scene but sadly could not be revived and died.

Police believe the driver of the vehicle would have known that they struck someone last night, says Detective Sergeant Steve Salton.

“We want the person or people in that vehicle to come forward and contact Waitemata Police immediately on (09) 839 0697 or information can be provided anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

We are also keen to hear from anyone who may have witnessed the crash last night or may have seen a vehicle that has damage to the left front, which they didn’t have before.

The information you have may not seem like much to you, but it could be just what Police needs to solve this, says Detective Sergeant Steve Salton.

Vanuatu seasonal workers claim low wages and unsafe working conditions

By
Kaniva Staff
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VANUATU DAILY POST / PACNEWS

Vanuatu seasonal workers that were employed by Agri Labour in Australia have claimed that they were unfairly treated by their employer.

One of the workers, Tulia Roqara, says before they left Vanuatu for Australia, they signed a contract with the agent in Vanuatu to work under a piecework-rate basis.

It was their understanding that this means they are paid according to the number of bins each person fills at the tomato farm.

Under the first contract they read the conditions and know how much they were going to get paid.

But when they reached Australia, they were told to sign another contract and were allegedly not given time to read it.

Roqara said in the first contract they were supposed to get $59 (US$44) dollars per bin per person but after the first week they found that they were getting paid only $56 (US$42) dollars per bin filled.

One bin was shared by three people and the three people shared the amount paid.

She says they went to the employer to enquire and they were told about the required deductions.

But Roqara said the deductions went over the required amount.

The deductions mean they are left with around $100 (US$75) dollars per week.

She said they experienced bleeding in the nose, ears, and eyes which they think may be related to the chemical used in the tomato farm.

Despite raising the issue they were not taken to the hospital but were told to use cotton to cover ears.

The Team Leader for the group, Nako Naeiu, confirmed that they all faced the same issued identified by Roqara.

He said the first time he went to Australia the package was better, not like the experience with Agri Labour where there were too much deductions.

In the end, they were promised to return to Vanuatu with around 700,000 vatu but they only returned with around 20% of that amount.

Some of the workers have sought the assistance of the workers union.

Meanwhile, the Vanuatu National Workers Union (VNWU) Vice President, Valu Gremson, says they are working

closely with their counterparts in Australia to ensure Vanuatu workers are not exploited.

Fifty workers arrived at the VNWU office last week to deal with their issue in relation to their superannuation and workers' rights.

He highlighted the recent case where workers were only paid $8 dollars an hour and the workers union stepped in to assist the workers.

The collaboration with the National Union of Workers (NUW) in Australia is taking place after an agreement was signed in 2015 with the VNWU.

Gremson says the Union wants the government to involve them in pre-departure briefings to talk about the process of claiming their superannuation and how to deal with disputes in Australia with the assistance of the Union.

He says with the network created by the NUW and VNWU, already nearly 500 members of the Union have been assisted to claim their superannuation in Australia.

The VNWU is looking at establishing the same connection with the Union in New Zealand.

Kaniva Tonga news has a republication arrangement with PACNEWS

‘Cockroach milk’ is latest superfood trend

By
Kaniva Staff
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Experts say a rare milk crystal produced by cockroaches contains human health benefits, and the finding is catching a lot of attention from superfood enthusiasts, KABC-TV reports.

You won’t find the rare crystals inside your average house pest because they are only produced by the Pacific Beetle cockroach.

The cockroach milk boasts four times as much protein as cow’s milk and is packed with essential amino acids.

That may be enough reason for health nuts to make the dairy switch when dipping their cookies in milk.

Discovery of the health benefits from the cockroach milk go back as far as two years.

Cockroach milk could become a new addition to the superfood craze, with food-conscious Australians opting for a dairy alternative in their morning coffee, Daily Mail reports.

The cockroach crystals, which contain the milk, ‘are like a complete food’ with ‘all the essential amino acids’, a researcher from the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine in India has claimed.

Another researcher told U.S. National Public Radio he tried the milk and it tasted no different from cow’s milk.

Milk found from the Australian native Pacific beetle cockroach was found to contain protein sequences with all the essential amino acids, plus proteins, fats, and sugars and three times the energy of dairy milk, the 2016 study found.

Some people may find it surprising that the bug even makes milk at all.

Diploptera Punctata is the only species of roach that gives birth to living offspring, as opposed to laying eggs, and produces milk to feed their young.

Tongan father charged with manslaughter after 2-year-old shoots himself in US

By
Kalino Latu
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A Tongan father in West Valley, Utah, United States has been charged with manslaughter after his two-year-old son in hospital after receiving a serious gunshot wound on Saturday.

The toddler was in critical condition after shooting himself in the head with a gun his father left accessible to him. West Valley City police said the boy is not expected to survive.

The boy’s father, 27-year-old Tasman Maile, has been arrested and is in Salt Lake County Jail, Utah news media reports.

He has been charged for leaving the weapon accessible to the child, as well as obstruction of justice, drug possession and possession of a weapon by a restricted person; Maile has a criminal history for previous events and is not allowed to own a firearm.

Just before midnight Saturday, West Valley City police received calls of shots fired in the area of 2700 South Fair Isle Lane in West Valley City.

The caller, 27-year-old Tasman William Alexander Maile, said that his 2-year-old son had shot himself with a handgun.

Officers arrived at the home and found Maile and his two young sons (ages 2 and 7). Police said the 2-year-old was bleeding.

WVCPD administered CPR and first aid until medical personnel could arrive and transport the child to Jordan Valley Hospital, before being airlifted to Primary Children’s Hospital.

“From the extent of the injuries on the child, the doctor said the child’s not going to survive,” said Lt. Jeff Conger with West Valley City PD.

WVCPD said the child is at the hospital on life support for organ distribution purposes.

Police recovered the handgun from the home and brought Maile in for questioning, and police said he was “not completely cooperative.”

“He did tell us some basic information, that the child got the gun and shot himself with it. But didn’t really elaborate on why the weapon was out and how the child got the weapon.,” Lt. Conger said.

According to a probable cause statement, after being read his Miranda Rights, Maile told police he fell asleep on the floor with his sons while ‘cuddled up together,’ he also admitted to keeping a handgun fully loaded and within arm’s reach with the safety off.

He then told investigators his son had gotten a hold of the handgun, ultimately shooting himself in the upper portion of his head.

Court documents state that Maile had two additional guns (three in the house in-total) which he admitted to throwing away in a community dumpster alongside a ‘distributable amount of marijuana’ as to not get into trouble.

Maile’s bail has been set at $50,000.

What made Meghan Markle blush on her first honeymoon?

By
Kaniva Staff
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By Stephen D’antal In Auckland For The Mail On Sunday

More than a week after their wedding, Harry and Meghan’s honeymoon destination still remains a closely guarded secret.

But wherever they choose, Meghan will be hoping the trip is less eventful than her first honeymoon in New Zealand – when a teenage boy crawled into her shower cubicle and tried to steal her underwear, the Daily Mail reports.

Meghan’s antipodean embarrassment came during a dream holiday with her new film-producer husband Trevor Engelson, when the couple rented a campervan for a two-week road trip during the Christmas and New Year of 2011/2012.

They visited remote glaciers, seal colonies and wineries, and swam with dolphins before reaching Akaroa, near Christchurch, and checking into a rural campsite.

But as Meghan took a shower, a 13-year-old boy crept into her stall and caught Meghan in the nude – forcing her, draped in a towel, to follow him through a site packed with holidaymakers to confront his horrified parents.

Meghan, 36, revealed her holiday adventure during a later interview with a New Zealand radio station to promote her role in the TV drama Suits.

“When we got into the campsite, they had nice areas to take a shower and I’m washing my hair and I hear something,” she said.

“I open the shower curtain and there’s this 13-year-old boy who had crawled under the stall and was trying to steal my underwear.

“I grabbed a towel and I’m like, ‘Where is your mother?!’ I found his parents, who were mortified,” she said. “I can laugh about it now but at the time I was so shaken up,” she told the ZM breakfast show. “He was just a little prankster, he was harmless – probably bored to tears with his family.”

Meghan is expected to return to New Zealand in October with Harry after they visit Australia for the Invictus Games.

Online chats, money transfers appear to show “Samoan chief” duped Tongan women

By
Kalino Latu
-

Online chats, money transfer receipts, posts and commentaries on social media appear to show an online scam organised by a fake “Samoan chief” and his mother have defrauded a number of Tongan women of thousands of dollars.

Samoan lawyer Malietau Malietoa and his mother, Aiono Papalii Malietoa also known as Aiono Sia Papalii Laupepa Malietoa, have been accused of advertising ie koga on Facebook for thousands of dollars, but accusers say the products were never sent to customers after they paid the money.

The pricey Samoan fine mat, known in Tongan as kie Ha’amoa, are of cultural significance for Tongan funerals, weddings and birthdays.

‘Ana Tekiata Langi Havea of New Zealand claimed the Malietoas deceived her into believing she would receive the mat after she paid them NZ$8,500.

She does not appear to be the only person to be affected by the alleged scam, with complaints from Tongan communities in Australia, New Zealand and the United States.

Havea told Kaniva News she sent the money through Western Union to Malietau’s mother Aiono, but they did not send her the mat.

At one stage, she was sent a photo of an ie koga being processed at the post office in Apia with Malietau claiming it was Havea’s ie being processed by the post office staff to be sent to New Zealand. But after checking with post office staff, Havea was told Malietau returned and took back the ie.

She said Malietau had paid back NZ$4,500 after she shared her story on Facebook and threatened him with legal action. Havea claimed Malietau had not paid the balance.

According to a copy of a money transfer receipt seen by Kaniva News, Havea sent NZ$1514.00 to a receiver called Aiono Papalii Malietoa in Samoa on February 19.

Havea also sent a copy of the receipt to Malietau via Facebook messenger to prove she had sent the money.

Havea also messaged Malietau and confirmed to him that the money was the settlement payment of the NZ$8,500.

She told Kaniva News that about a week later she became stressed after Malietau began changing his story.

The changes included saying he was unable to send the ie as scheduled because of an attack by relatives on his family’s house and a subsequent complaint to the police, that his visa was invalid, that there were no flights, requests for extra times and saying he planned to fly to Auckland.

On Facebook Havea said:  “At first I thought Malietau Malietoa is a Samoan Chief but he is not. So sad to find out, He is a thief because he stole $4k from a poor Tongan Widow. Look at him! Eeeeeewwwww…. Lucifer Smile.” The post has been shared 38 times.

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On February 11, 2018, after seeing an advertisement on Facebook, Havea messaged Malietau asking if she could buy an ie koga to cover a coffin of her dying husband after he was diagnosed with liver cancer.

In response, Malietau said on a Facebook message seen by Kaniva News that the mat cost NZ$9,000, but he was offering it to her for NZ$8,500.

“Sorry, these kie [are] more expensive but we have tried to get a discount,” Malietau said in a message seen by Kaniva News.

Havea offered to pay for his airfares to hand deliver the ie koga to New Zealand, but after Malietau said he might not be available to travel Havea offered to go to Samoa instead.

When asked when she would receive the ie Malietau responded:  “Two days. Be there Tuesday. Sorry Wednesday.”

He then messaged his Bank South Pacific details, but Havea changed her mind and sent the money through Western Union.

“Can u send to Aiono Sialeipata Malietoa. That’s the name please,” Malietau said in another Facebook message.

He told Havea she could only send ST$6,000 a day because of the restrictions on cash transfers.

In another message, Malietau confirmed that the money from Western Union was picked up and reassured Havea that she should receive the ie koga on Thursday as latest.

On February 18, Havea told Malietau she has sent NZ$3,529.90 to Aiono Sialeipata Malietoa through Western Union.

“Thank you so much and I hope it will get here in time for my husband’s [wake] on Thursday night,” she wrote.

The payment of NZ$8,500 was settled on February 19 with a payment of NZ$1514.00 made to Aiono through Western Union, Havea said.

Stressful moment

However, in a message on February 21 Malietau began changing his story.

“Sorry Ana, after talking to you this morning, I came [home] to [an] incident requiring police, I am currently here at Police… filing a complaint,” said Malietau.

In response Havea wrote:

“Maaaaannn… I hope you know how much I’m [stressed] out about the ie koga. If not [received] by Friday then just do a refund as I sacrificed the expenses for my husband in order to get me the ie koga for [his] coffin please.”

Malietau responded by providing a link to a story about a dispute among Malietoa descendants on Talamua.com and saying:

“… today while I was at DHL, I [got] home to find my elderly mother and her elderly sister in tears, as a group of people from a relative’s village [came] over and threw stones at the roof of the house, scaring them. That’s why I was at police station because of this incident. I [apologize] for this.”

He said he had relocated his family back to the village where it’s safe.

Threat of legal actions

On March 1, Havea threatened to seek legal advice. Malietau appeared to be apologetic and said he was embarrassed at being unable to deliver the ie koga. He said that he was in court that day and the following day.

In response Havea said: “…I already volunteered my daughter to come [at] my own expense but I don’t know why you didn’t accept it as I was so desperate in need to use for my husband. He was the one paying and he knew before [he passed] that I am spending so much money on the ie koga just to put on his coffin. I wish to say you broke my promise to my husband and caused me more pain than the passing of my beloved husband because I didn’t keep my last words to him and I’m in so much pain.”

When threatened with the release of the story to the news media, Malietau promised to pay back Havea’s money.

“I have received real money of $500 this morning from Sia Aiona. Thank you for that but where’s the 1500 from yesterday? Still not [showing] in my bank account. Expecting the balance of 8k by tomorrow,” Havea wrote.

In response, Malietau assured her that he was chasing it up.

Havea replied: “To be honest, I am sick of talking with and all the excuses you gave me so tomorrow is the last day for the ie koga or my money.”

“I am sick of all your excuses! 1,000 times! My auntie, Losena wrote to me about the same problem. With your Mum [that] she [dealt] with.”

“She did not deal with my Mum, sorry,” Malietau replied.

Kaniva News originally planned to run this story on Saturday, May 19, but Havea asked us to hold it as Malietau promised to refund the balance of NZ$4000 by Friday, May 25.

As this story was being written, the money had still not arrived.

Embarrassment

Talking to other victims of the alleged fraud has revealed stories of regret, disappointment and embarrassment. People said they were convinced the offer was genuine because of the chiefly status of the name Malietoa.

Some women chose not to pursue any refund demand from Malietau because they did not want their families to find out that they had spent large amounts of money on products they never saw.

A Tongan woman in the United States claimed she paid Malietau about US$10,000 but he did not send her a mat.

The woman asked to keep her name out of the story because she was scared her husband would find out she spent the money on something which never arrived.

Malietau

Malietau did not return a message from Kaniva News seeking his side of the story.

However, Tongan freelance journalist Taina Kami Enoka managed to get hold of him.

Enoka told Kaniva News Malietau told her that he would speak with her only if they were off the record as his lawyer has been handling the matter. Malietau told Enoka only his lawyer could release any information after she told him she was going to run a story on his alleged scam.

In September 2007 a long awaited planned royal wedding between Malietau and the niece of king Tupou VI, Hon Titilupe Fanetupouvava’u Tuita, was called off because the engagement was dissolved.

Statue of Virgin Mary weeping in New Mexico church

By
Kaniva Staff
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A Virgin Mary statue is apparently crying tears that smell like roses.

Churchgoers at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Hobbs, New Mexico, first noticed it during Mass on Sunday.

The church’s pastor, Father Jose ‘Pepe’ Segura said a parishioner told him about the tears and he saw people wipe the statue’s face only to have the tears reappear.

‘That’s when I saw that she really was crying,’ Father Pepe told the Las Cruces Sun Sentinel. ‘I think it’s a reminder for all of us to get closer to God and to stop being violent.’

The church stayed open round the clock as people came from all over New Mexico and even as far as Texas to see what the faithful are calling a miracle.

One man, Peter McDonald of Midland Texas, took his five children out of school to see the crying Virgin.

He told KVIA-TV: ‘It’s an unbelievable blessing to be out here in west Texas and in the middle of nowhere, to have the statue here weeping like this, is just amazing.’

On Thursday, the Diocese of Las Cruces New Mexico came in to test the tears, to determine if this is, in fact, a miracle.

Deacon Jim Winder, the vice chancellor of the Diocese said that it will take a lot of testing,  he told KOB-TV that ‘you can’t prove a miracle, but you can disprove all other explanations’.

The church was closed for four hours while the officials collected samples of the ‘tears’.

They will also x-ray the statue, interview witnesses and dig all the way back to where the statue was made. The process could take years.

But no matter what the Church finds, parishioners are convinced that they witnessed a miracle.

Laura Wright, who lives in Hobbs said: ‘It feels real, she’s actually crying. She’s sad.’

The church will stay open for as long as people keep coming, according to manager Judy Ronquillo.

She said she’s been going through a hard time, but ‘when I saw this, everything went away. This is a miracle, there is nothing more. We know there is a God. In the past, when I see this, I see this on TV. We don’t see it in Hobbs, New Mexico. Not until now. I believe it’s a miracle.’

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