A car and van collided on a road in Pea this afternoon.
The van smashed into the rear of the car.
Further details of what had happened were unavailable.
Crown signs settlement with Kali Fungavaka’s widow
After about four years when Kali Fungavaka was killed in Tonga the Crown has signed a deed of settlement, acknowledging breaching of constitutional rights to life, liberty and freedom within Tonga.
The details of the settlement were intended to be kept secret however the agreements entitled Fungavaka’s five children with his former wife to some of the settlement provided by the Crown.
Tonga’s Acting Attorney General said on Thursday 3, the Supreme Court has declared the actions of certain Police Officers as servants of the Kingdom of Tonga towards Kali Fungavaka on the night of 17 August and morning of 18 August 2012 were wrongful.
Kali Fungavaka was of Tongan origin and a police officer in New Zealand while he visited Tonga in 2012.
The Acting AG said the declaration made by the Supreme Court under clause 103A of the Constitution was the final outcome of the civil case lodged against the Crown by Fungavaka’s widow, Ms Audra Watts, who was also the Administrator of the estate of the late Kali Peaua Fungavaka.
The Crown then entered into a deed of settlement with the estate of the deceased to compensate them for their loss, related out of pocket expenses and legal costs.
That deed of settlement is confidential between the parties, but it was based on achieving justice for both parties.
Ms Watt’s legal counsel Mr Frank Hogan of Auckland New Zealand said his clients acknowledges the entitlement of 5 children of Kali Fungavaka to some of the settlement provided by the Crown, and so she will within one month take steps to set up an appropriate trust or trusts for the children.
Fungavaka died on August 23, 2012 in Nuku’alofa after he was assaulted by certain Police Officers and a civilian in cells at the Nuku’alofa Central Police Station on the night of August 17 and the morning of August 18, 2012.
The five Police Officers and civilian involved in the assaults were charged and prosecuted in 2014.
Two Police Officers were convicted of manslaughter and one Police Officer was convicted of common assault.
The civilian was convicted in a separate trial by a judge and jury with causing grievous harm to Mr Fungavaka.
The two Police Officers convicted of manslaughter were sentenced to 11 years imprisonment, with one year suspended, and 9 years imprisonment, with one year suspended, respectively.
The other Police Officer convicted of common assault, and the civilian, received fully suspended imprisonment sentences.
NZ and Aust high school funding for Tonga withheld after funds misspent
Australian and New Zealand funds for non-government high schools have been withheld by the Tongan Ministry of Education and Training.
The Ministry withheld the money after it was discovered that some of the grants had not been used according to the purpose of the funding programme.
New Zealand and Australia co-fund a multi-million dollar programme for secondary schools in the kingdom.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has contributed TP$30,554,487 (Aus$18.5 million) since 2009 and New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) provided TP$12 million (NZ$9 million) to cover the period 2013 to 2016.
“In late 2014, it came to the attention of the Ministry of Education and MFAT that some of the grants were being diverted into school operational budgets, which is not their intended purpose,” an MFAT spokesperson said.
The money will continue to be withheld until an agreement is reached with Tonga’s Ministry of Education and Training and the schools.
MFAT and DFAT asked the Ministry to make clear to non-government secondary schools in Tonga how the school grants should be spent.
The Ministry has put distribution of the moneys on hold until an agreement between the Government and the schools has been reached.
“MFAT understands the agreement is now awaiting final approval,” the MFAT spokesman said.
The programme provides school grants to non-government secondary schools to supplement teachers’ salaries so they compare with government secondary school pay.
A spokesperson for the Australian High Commission in Tonga told Kaniva News they were “aware MET has been working very closely with representatives from non-government schools to overcome programme issues and that positive progress has been made on this.”
It said Australia had committed $Aus13 million to the Tonga Education Support Programme, which is managed by the Tongan Ministry of Education.
It said all DFAT scheduled payments under this agreement were up to date as per the current agreement.
“While DFAT provides support to MET in accordance with our agreement, DFAT doesn’t fund schools directly and is not withholding school grant funding,” the spokesperson said.
He said Australia also supported Tonga’s post-secondary education sector through skills development that responded to labour market demand.
We sought comment from the Minister of Education, ‘Akilisi Pohiva and the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Education, but to no avail.
Free Wesleyan Church schools
The Free Wesleyan Church Schools’ Director of Education, Dr Mele’ana Puloka, told Radio FM 87.5 in January it had been two years since New Zealand and Australian funding was held back from the church’s schools.
She said she knew there were good reasons why the funding had been withheld, but the church could not only pay its teachers and disregard other staff working outside the classrooms.
In 2011 the grant paid TP$400 per head for each non-government school student, made up of TP$100 from Australia, TP$100 from New Zealand and TP$200 from the Tongan government.
The money was intended to top up non-government school teachers’ pay to match the equivalent of high salaries offered by the government to its teachers.
Kaniva News has seen a letter sent by former Ministry of Education Director Emily Pouvalu to Dr Puloka in December 2014 asking for details of how the grant awarded to the church’s schools were being used during 2011, 2012, and 2013.
“The information you will provide will allow MET to make available to the donors what they like to know on how the grant is assisting to reduce the disparity of the salaries received by teachers in the government schools and those of the non-government schools,” the letter read.
Dr Puloka reportedly said she had written to New Zealand and Australian authorities clarifying things she thought might satisfy them and allow them to release the funds, but they still withhold the money.
The main points
- Australian and New Zealand funds for non-government high schools have been withheld by the Tongan Ministry of Education.
- The Ministry withheld the money after it was discovered that some of the grants had not been used according to the purpose of the funding programme.
- New Zealand and Australia co-fund a multi-million programme for secondary schools in the kingdom.
- The money will continue to be withheld until an agreement is reached with Tonga’s Ministry of Education and Training and the schools.
Scuffle breaks out during ‘fakakuata’ meeting in Australia
The Fakaongo Church quarterly meeting in Sydney yesterday turned violent as a scuffle broke out between members of the church who were in the meeting.
The clash was broken up before it turned into a brawl and police were not called in.
The meeting was discussing the recommendation by Sydney-based Free Wesleyan Church Superintendent Rev. Dr Siotame Havea that Rev. Samiuela Taungakava become the minister of the Fakaongo.
Kaniva News had been reliably told church members were split over the recommendation.
The church in the Sydney suburb of Mortdale is officially known as Siasi Fakaongo Uesiliana Tauataina o Tonga Inc.
Those opposing the recommendation said they were abiding by the church guidelines which say the Fakaongo Church in Australia is accountable to the President and General Secretary of the Free Wesleyan Church in Tonga and not the Tongan superintendent in Sydney appointed by the Tongan conference.
READ MORE:
- Failed promise: Top church leader probed into Pulela‘ā’s scandal
- Aus$140,000 worth of fundraising cheques written out to Tokaikolo Church bounced
The person who spoke to us on condition of anonymity described the incident as “ta’efakalotu” (unreligious).
He said the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga should do something to stop such incidents in future.
He said all churches in Australia who were under the head office in Tonga were accountable to the superintendent assigned by the Tongan conference to work at its Sydney based office.
However, the Fakaongo Church was different because it was not accountable to the Tongan superintendent in Sydney.
Attempts to contact the Fakaongo church authorities and the Tongan superintendent in Australia were unsuccessful. The Secretary General in Tonga had yet to respond to our request for comment at the time this story was written.
However, some other church officials and members in Sydney we talked to last night who asked not to be named have confirmed the incident took place.
The Fakaongo Church was established after Tongan members of the Parish Tonga, which is under the Uniting Church of Australia, broke away under the leadership of Tongan FWC minister Uesili Tu’akoi.
We understand the Free Wesleyan Church in Sydney remains split after the arrival of Dr Soatame Havea in August last year.
Dr Havea was appointed by the FWC’s 92nd conference in Tonga last year to take over from Rev. Matafonua Fotofili after he was found guilty of misconduct for his role in the collapse of the Pulela’a church.
Rev. Fotofili, the former Tongan Superintendent of the FWC in Sydney, accused Dr Havea of starting a new church. Dr Havea and some of his followers insisted they were the rightful Free Wesleyan Church in Sydney.
The main points
- The Fakaongo Church quarterly meeting in Sydney yesterday turned violent as a scuffle broke out between members of the church who were in the meeting.
- The clash was broken up before it turned into a brawl and police were not called in.
- The meeting was discussing the recommendation by Sydney-based Free Wesleyan Church Superintendent Rev. Dr Siotame Havea that of Rev. Samiuela Taungakava become the minister of the Fakaongo.
- Kaniva News had been reliably told church members were split over the recommendation.
You may also like to read these:
Rev Fotofili claims FWC in Australia has split, accuses successor of starting new church
Australian FWC church fear the worst as Pulelaʻā leaders refuse to step down
Promises over Pulelaʻā church ‘make-believe,’ FWC conference tells members
Time to audit Pulela’ā church’s accounts, says Wesleyan General Secretary
Tongan woman sentenced in US after stealing $35,000
A Tongan female caretaker was sentenced to two years in prison in the United States this week after stealing from a 95-year-old woman she was taking care of more than US$35,000 last year.
Ofa Atau Fifita, 33, has been given the maximum sentence of felony elder fiscal abuse for stealing cheques from the woman in her care between Feb. 6, 2015, and July 14 while she was an employee of a home care assistance company, prosecutors said. She has only eight days credit for time served.
According to Kron4 news the elderly woman’s husband contacted the sheriff’s office after they found out cheques were missing from her cheque book.
The court was told “Fifita had forged and cashed more than 30 of her checks”. .
“Fifita admitted the thefts and said she took the money because she had financial problems. Prosecutors said she stole a total of $35,300, the amount she still owes to the victim in restitution”.
Tonga Prime Minister picks up rubbish at a public place
Tonga’s Prime Minister ‘Akilisi PÅhiva picked up rubbish at one of the public places in Nuku’alofa this evening.
Falemaka TÄÊ»ai took a picture of the Prime Minister at the scene and uploaded it to Facebook.
TÄÊ»ai told Kaniva News the prime minister was picking up rubbish at Hihifo Bus Station in Nuku’alofa when he took the picture.
The photo apparently showed Hon PÅhiva carrying a green basket while picking up the rubbish.
To Facebook users the move is being seen as symbolic of the prime minister’s promise to keep the country clean and his campaign to educate the public about how to keep and maintain places in clean conditions.
Another picture was also uploaded to Facebook by a person who commented on the picture of the Prime
Minister saying the Ha’apai governor Moʻale Fīnau regularly picked up rubbish at Pangai.
Tonga’s outgoing Minister of Infrastructure ‘Etuate Lavulavu led his staff and workers from the ministry in a clean-up operation in Nuku’alofa last year.
He later issued a statement of apology after he was strongly accused in Parliament for breaching the country’s Sunday law by picking up rubbish on Sunday.
Last year the government of Hon Pohiva led a national clean-up campaign as the country prepared for King Tupou VI’s coronation.
It spent TP$200,000 (NZ$136,000) in an operation to dispose derelict ships in Faua Harbour in Nuku’alofa.
Kuo alu a Lavu ki ‘api kae hoko atu ehe PM o toga ae hiko vevee he tau’aga pasi hihifo….lol…tokonki 5.08 pm…5.3.2016
Posted by Falemaka Taai on Friday, March 4, 2016
Car flips onto roof following collision
A car has flipped onto its roof following a collision with another vehicle on Vuna Road in Nuku’alofa.
According to a witness who wished not to be named the vehicle hit a stationary vehicle, causing it to flip on its top.
The driver of the car was taken to hospital, the witness said.
The incident happened right in front of the Chinese Embassy.
King and queen of Tonga attend 60th birthday in Australia
Their Majesties King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipauʻu attended a 60th birthday on February 29 in Queenstown, Australia.
It was the birthday of Louise Waterhouse the Sydney-based honorary consul for Tonga.
She is the daughter of Bill Waterhouse who’s been the Tongan -Australian honorary consul general for 40 years.
Their Majesties were reminded during the celebration of how the Waterhouse family came into contact with the Tongan royals.
“Our families go back three-quarters of a century from when your father studied at Sydney University at the same time as my father, and your father was the first Tongan to get a tertiary education,” the birthday girl Louise Waterhouse told the king. .
Louise added: “My real passion in life is my role with Tonga … and I feel very privileged to be in a position through that role where I can make just a small difference to this wonderful island nation.”
“Louise told Monday’s gathering at Jack’s Point that she was “deeply, deeply touched and honoured” that King Tupou VI, crowned last year, and Queen Nanasipau’u attended”.
Tongan Father facing 27 charges of incest against his two daughters
Tongan Police are likely to lay more charges against a man already in custody after he has been charged with 27 charges of incest and sexual touching against his own two daughters.
Police said they immediately arrested the 42-year-old man from Folaha after receiving a complaint on Monday, Radio Tonga news report says.
Police said the daughters are 17 and 18 years old and their mother is still alive.
Police have released no further details about the inicident.
The offence is punishable by a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment.
The accused will appear in court next Monday.
Bag of human bones found at sea near Ha’atafu
Police in Tonga are investigating the discovery of a bag containing human bones at sea near Ha’atafu whether they are human remains.
Nukunuku Police said the bag was found by a local diver near the navigational beacon on reefs at Ha’atafu.
The diver reportedly told police there were several bags in the area, Radio Tonga news reported.
Police theorised the bones were perhaps dug up from graves and dumped into the sea or they were just human bodies laid there undiscovered for sometimes.
Further details were not provided.
Stick with Kaniva News for updates.
