Tongaliuaki Filo’aulo Aleamotu’a whom Tonga’s Land Court declared in December 2015 he was the rightful heir to the Fielakepa title announced his intention to seek reparation in court.
His legal counsel Laki Niu reportedly said his client will be filing claims for legal costs and compensation against Tupou Tongapo’uli Aleamotu’a who His Majesty bestowed the title on before it was disputed in court.
It is understood the uncle and his nephew together with their legal teams will first discuss the matter in a mediation process in court.
His Majesty King Tupou VI conferred the Fielakepa title on His Armed Forces’ Commander, Tupou Tongapoʻuli in April 2015 but it was later challenged in court by Tongaliuki.
Tongapo’uli’s eldest brother, the late Baron Fielakepa, died in 2013 without an heir.
After his death, the next in line to the hereditary title was Mōsese Taulupe Aleamotuʻa, but he died suddenly in 2007. He was survived by his mother Lady Tuna Fielakepa and his wife Mele Simiki Aleamotu’a and their nine children.
Tongaliuaki was the eldest son of Mele Simiki Aleamotu’a and Mōsese Taulupe Aleamotuʻa.
The by-election for Tongtapu 4 to elect an MP to replace outgoing MP Mateni Tapueluelu will not be held until the Court of Appeal hears Tapueluelu’s appeal in March, said Parliament’s Chief Clerk Gloria Pōle’o.
Pōle’o told Kanva News this morning the Speaker of the House, Lord Tuʻivakanō and the Electoral Commissioner Pita Vuki had made the decision in a meeting they held yesterday.
Pōleʻo said the by-election for Tongatapu 4 will possibly be held in May if the Court of Appeal will rule against Tapueluelu’s appeal.
Tonga’s Acting Attorney General ‘Aminiasi Kefu said there was no clauses in the Tongan laws or constitution that say a by-election must be pended if a respondent like Tapueluelu lodged an appeal after a court declared his election was void.
However the decision to delay the by-election because Tapueluelu has appealed his disqualification as an MP was a decision made by the Speaker and the Electoral Commissioner.
About 20 youths from Liahona in Tonga have been taken to Vaiola hospital yesterday after an outbreak of alleged food poisoning.
Authorities have yet to identify what had caused the poisoning but a medical officer at Vaiola told Radio Tonga food the youth bought and ate at one of the restaurants in Nuku’alofa might have been the cause.
The youth were released after they were seen by medical officers.
The plight of mothers and children dying in childbirth and a little girl who fell into an open fire and had to wait for hours for medical help have been cited as some of the driving forces behind a helicopter rescue service which says it will have its first aircraft in Tonga next month.
Australian Rodger McCutcheon, who describes himself as founder and chief crewman of the operation, told Kaniva News he had been working for two years to establish the company.
However, he admitted that he had no funds to operate the service and that its operations had not yet been approved by Tongan regulators.
He said he had been living in Nukuʻalofa for nearly two years. He claimed the service would be the first to perform lifesaving emergency work, tour guide and commercial work.
“I was told of a number of shocking cases, one a little girl who fell into and open fire and was in extreme pain for over 10 hours before she got to hospital,” McCutcheon told Kaniva News.
“I also saw a man seriously injured and bleeding badly who also had to wait 15 hours before getting medical help, and then I was made aware of mothers and children dying in childbirth due to complications and no fast access to medical help.”
“From that point I have worked hard to bring a world class helicopter service to Tonga.”
The Tonga helicopter service will be supported by one of Australia’s leading helicopter operators providing Pilots and Maintenance Engineers. Photo/Rodger McCutcheon
He said the first of two helicopters for Tonga would arrive on February 6. It would be a Eurocopter AS350 fitted with a stretcher kit. It would also be capable of carrying a large life raft, long lines and nets and a fire fighting bucket.
“I am keen on life saving training exercises with HM Armed Forces and the Police, and also the hospital trauma team, so we can have trained divers and medical staff etc to assist in lifesaving emergency situations,” McCutcheon said.
Tonga in promotion
McCutcheon claimed the helicopter service would help promote tourism in the kingdom.
“I have offered to bring a special HD aerial camera fitted to the helicopter,” he said.
“We can film the beauty of Tonga and this footage can be used by Tonga tourism to assist with marketing.
The helicopter services will also be working in and promoting tourism activities for Tonga. Photo/Rodger McCutcheon
“The Tonga helicopter service will be supported by one of Australia’s leading helicopter operators providing pilots and maintenance engineers, the new Tongan service will bring the highest levels of safety and professionalism to Tongan skies.
“We will also be employing up to 10 Tongans to assist us with ground operations and safety and security.
“There is still much to do gaining approvals to fly in Tonga, but I have had good support from Government Ministers and positive discussions with Civil Aviation staff and hopefully the quality and 25 years of experience of the Australian service, which I am mirroring in Tonga, will meet with approval of the regulators.
Owner and operator
The new helicopters service will be a Tongan registered company. The shareholders will be McCutcheon, who will live in Tonga to crew and manage the operation, Ian White who runs The Helicopter Service in Victoria and Michael Van Der Zypp, who owns The Helicopter Group in Australia.
Tonga Helicopters has a strong focus on quality, and experiencing the Pacific Islands from the air in a helicopter is a guaranteed highlight for visitors to Tonga. Photo/Rodger McCutcheon
“I have no funding for the work, but we are prepared to give Tonga our best shot and see what work develops,” McCutcheon said.
“Now the dream for Tonga becomes a reality.
” ‘Saving Tonga Lives’ has been my slogan from day one. I have not given up even when things got almost impossible for me,” McCutcheon said.
McCutcheon has been described by Radio New Zealand International as founder of Tonga Rescue Helicopter. RNZI said he had been listed in the Federal Aviation Administration Airmen Certification Database.
He is also described online as South Pacific manager for Aviation Project Management.
During the controversy over Real Tonga’s use of the MA60 aircraft, McCutcheon claimed to RNZI that the aircraft was safe and that he had New Zealand pilots ready to fly it.
The New Zealand government withdrew aid money from Tonga until the aircraft was grounded and replaced. The MA60 has been involved in a number of incidents around the world.
The main points
The plight of mothers and children dying in childbirth and a little girl who fell into an open fire and had to wait for hours for medical help have been cited as some of the driving forces behind a helicopter rescue service which says it will have its first aircraft in Tonga next month.
Australian Rodger McCutcheon, who describes himself as founder and chief crewman of the operation, told Kaniva News he had been working for two years to establish the company.
However, he admitted that he had no funds to operate the service and that its operations had not yet been approved by Tongan regulators.
He said he had been living in Vava’u for nearly two years. He claimed the service would be the first to perform lifesaving emergency work, tour guide and commercial work.
Tongan Police are treating the death of a German national, Wolfgang Borner, 59, as suspicious after his remains had been found at sea by local divers on Wednesday.
When contacting Police the divers said “they had found human remains, tied with a rope on the ankles to a rock on the seabed” Matangi Tonga report said.
The finding came after Borner was reported missing to Police on December 28, 2015.
Following an autopsy by ‘Eua health authority Borner’s remains were taken and buried in his resting place in the island.
The Tongan government said it has good reasons behind its move to declare Tonga was in a state of emergency during tropical cyclone Ula.
The minimal damage the category three cyclone has caused prompted critics to ask why Pohiva’s government declared a state of emergency.
Paula Ma’u from Tonga’s National Emergency and Management Committee has the explanation.
“We couldn’t do it on Saturday because of strong winds and rough seas, especially here in Tongatapu and Ha’apai, not until Sunday afternoon. But because we have a Sunday law, that’s why we decided to recommend to the Prime Minister to declare a state of emergency in order for us, the workers, to prepare for deployment,” Ma’u told Radio New Zealand International
The state of emergency was lifted yesterday Tuesday 5.
What is a national state of emergency?
Declaring a national state of emergency is an option when a disaster or other event is or is likely to be of such severity that it is beyond the resources of the local Civil Defence groups.
It provides for national resources to be marshalled to perform emergency functions and tasks such as:
* rescues
* evacuations from dangerous areas and the closing off of buildings, homes and other premises, public places and roads.
* setting up first aid posts
* providing relief such as emergency food, clothing and shelter
* regulating road, air and sea traffic
* undertaking the emergency disposal of bodies
It also allows authorities to requisition any land, building, vehicle, animal, boat, equipment, construction materials, bedding, food and medical supplies considered necessary for the preservation of human life.
Firefighters in Tonga battled a blaze that engulfed a resdential building at the Free Wesleyan Church’s Theological College known as Sia’atoutai in Tongatapu .
Kaniva News understands one of the buildings at the compound known as Si’oto’ofa Atu was badly damaged.
Apparently this was the first house fire to be reported in Tongatapu for 2016.
