Sione Misa Fifita, his partner Melise Lausi’i, and their son Johnboy Lausi’i can now fully enjoy their lives after INZ made the decision on Monday.
“Your application for a New Zealand Residence Visa has been approved – IPT Order has been approved”, read an Immigration document purported to be sent to Mr Fifita, seen by Kaniva News.
Fifita has been residing in the country without legal documentation for 28 years, while his partner has been in a similar situation for 10 years.
“This is a very happy day for my family”, Fifita said.
He said he had no hope of legally staying in the country or obtaining a visa.
Koli Vanisi and his firm, Pacific Immigration Consultancy & Services Ltd (PICSL), represented the family.
Vanisi and his company attempted last year, and the approval was their most recent successful attempt.
Vanisi and PICSL have been helping the Tongan community in New Zealand with their immigration applications for decades.
As Kaniva News reported previously, a Tongan family who had been unlawfully in New Zealand for about 20 years had escaped deportation.
Vaea Tangitau Veatupu arrived in New Zealand in November 2002.
His wife Seini Veatupu was already here before him since August 1997.
They have four children and the eldest held New Zealand citizenship while the couple and their three other children overstayed their visa.
Immigration New Zealand finally approved their residency in 2022 following the application submitted by PICSL.
If you have any immigration needs in New Zealand, you can contact Vanisi and his consultancy.
A man has been apprehended with illicit drugs, cash and a device.
The 37-year-old man from Ha’ateiho was arrested after he attempted to flee from the police.
Officers seized illegal substances; 59 packs of cannabis (weighing 28.85 grams), cash amounting to $812.50, three (3) motor vehicle receipts, and one (1) electronic device.
The suspect is currently in police custody while police investigations remain ongoing, according to a police statement.
“The public is urged to report any suspicious activities related to illicit drugs”, it said.
“Please be advised of the dangers posed b’ drug-related activities. Anyone With information is encouraged to come forward to Tonga Police”.
Three people have serious injuries after what police believe is an “altercation involving neighbours” in a South Auckland street.
The incident occurred on Kutukutu Street in Takanini this evening.
Police were called to the street at 7.50pm.
The three victims have been transported to hospital with serious injuries.
The person believed to be responsible left the scene in a car and was located by the Police Eagle helicopter on Takanini School Road a short time later.
He has been taken into police custody.
Cordons are in place on Kutukutu Street and residents are asked to follow the instructions of police staff in the area.
Nearby business owner Kamal Singh claimed three people were stabbed and had small children with them, but he did not know how the incident started.
“I saw one small kid sitting in an ambulance with them, they were crying,” Singh told the Herald.
The Eke Government is considering approaching the king to set up a Royal Commission to investigate Lulutai Airlines’ controversial purchase of the new twin Otter aircraft in 2023.
Minister for Pulic Enterprises Paula Piveni Piukala
It follows reports that the plane encountered multiple maintenance issues, and both of its engines are due to be replaced in two months. The aircraft was commissioned by the Crown Prince in November 2023.
The concerns emerged after Kaniva News previously reported that experts in civil aviation had serious concerns about the twin otter’s condition.
The Minister for Public Enterprises said this afternoon he has considered seeking the king’s consent for the Royal Commission after he discovered that the new aircraft’s two engines are due to be replaced in April this year.
“It costs millions”, he said during a media briefing.
Mr Piukala believed the due diligence process had not been thoroughly followed when purchasing the twin otter.
He described the situation as dangerous (“fakatu’utāmaki”).
He said the airline has three aircraft, but only the twin otter is still operating. Mr Piukala said that the plane has been repeatedly grounded for maintenance checks.
The Deputy Prime Minister joined Piukala during the media briefing and said the Director of Civil Aviation had grounded the twin otter on Tuesday due to a regulatory violation. He said the Lulutai completed the necessary requirements and it was allowed to resume service on Wednesday.
Computer sensordamage
As Kaniva reported previously, about four months after the twin otter arrived in Tonga, a computer sensor was damaged, causing the aircraft to be grounded.
The data sensor was part of the aircraft’s Air Data Attitude Heading And Reference System (ADAHRS).
Ousted chief executive Poasi Tei received public criticism after it was discovered that the new part was sent to Tonga in a passenger’s luggage. The luggage was held at Brisbane Airport for inspection after it appeared the part should not have been placed in the passenger’s cargo.
The outgoing government of Hu’akavameiliku previously said it paid US$6.25 million into two accounts with the Bank of America and the Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank to purchase the new aircraft for Lulutai Airlines.
Former Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku, who was accused of providing misleading information in Parliament and failing to respond to MPs’ questions about the purchase of the aircraft, finally confirmed the purchase in August 2023.
We contacted Hu’akavameiliku for comment at the time.
Aircraft expert comments
As we reported at the time, Kaniva Newscontacted some experts in aircraft engineering and sales asking whether they had any knowledge about the twin otter.
Some who did not want to be identified, as they did not want to be seen as getting involved in the political side of this deal, said the aircraft was currently in China and had allegedly been grounded since 2018.
They said the five-year period of the aircraft’s inactivity from 2018 to 2023 should have been a concern for Tonga because aircraft parts had certain timeframes which require replacements when they were expired.
An expert said he was surprised after he learnt the money was paid in full while the aircraft was sitting in China.
He said that from his experience the payment should have been deposited part by part in a process in which Tonga should only deposit the last portions of payment when the aircraft arrived in the kingdom or departed China.
It is understood the aircraft was inspected as part of the purchase. However, it is believed the person who inspected the aircraft was sent by the aircraft agent.
“The interest of the agent is to sell the aircraft while at the same time Tonga should have done their own inspection to make sure the aircraft is safe according to New Zealand safety rules and requirements which apply in Tonga,” an expert said.
“Some parts of the aircraft are calendar time, meaning after two or three years they have to be replaced, no matter whether the aircraft is in operation or is being grounded”, the expert claimed.
He said Tonga should have been involved very closely with the inspection process to make sure it did not spend extra money to replace the parts once the aircraft arrived in Tonga.
“Tonga should know about this and should have asked the seller to replace such parts of the aircraft because the aircraft was not a brand new”.
Kaniva News contacted former Lulutai CEO for comment at the time.
Lulutai airlines has officially appointed the director of Real Tonga Tevita Palu as its interim chief executive officer.
Palu Aviation and Real Tonga owner Tēvita Palu
The appointment comes after the government terminated the contract of former CEO Poasi Tei, following our report this morning.
The Minister for Public Enterprises has confirmed that Palu has been brought in because of his expertise in aircraft services.
The government expected Palu to conduct a review and provide a report on Lulutai Airlines’ current technical and mechanical status and forecast of its future performance, the Minister for Public Enterprises, Piveni Piukala said.
As Kaniva News reported yesterday, the government has been really concerned about the airline’s operation, with Piukala describing it as nosediving (“meleuku”) and “very cloudy.”
He said the government was assessing the possibility of winding up the company.
Piukala said that the previous governments had invested approximately $21 million in the airlines, an investment he questioned regarding its reliability.
In the year 2013, the government of Tu’ivakanō entered into a partnership with Real Tonga to establish a national airline dedicated to meeting domestic transportation needs.
The move forced Chathams Pacific, a New Zealand-owned company that operated Tonga’s sole domestic airline, to pull out.
After about seven years, in 2020, the Tu’i’onetoa government decided to establish a government-owned airline, leading to the creation of Lulutai.
Palu previously said Real Tonga had been put out of operation by Covid-19 and local politics.
He said at the time that with the border open, a safe and reliable air service was necessary while he attempted to persuade the then government to reinstate his airlines in the air services.
Palu said that aircraft from New Zealand were readily available for delivery to Tonga and were waiting on Tongan Government approval.
The Eke government has reportedly fired the Lulutai Airlines chief executive officer, a reliable source told Kaniva News.
Tonga’s Minister of Information, Hon Poasi Tei. Photo/Kalino Lātū (Kaniva Tonga News)
It is understood that the Prime Minister is expected to make an official announcement this afternoon.
Kaniva News contacted the Prime Minister for comment.
Tei was appointed by former Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku after Parliament dismissed the chief executive officer due to his court conviction for electoral bribery.
The news comes after the Minister for Public Enterprises, Piveni Piukala, said Lulutai Airlines service was taking a nosedive (“meleuku”) and its operation was “very cloudy”.
Piukala said the airline’s management has asked for $7 million to revive the company.
“In a scenario where there is no $7 million, the company must be wound up,” Mr Piukala said during a media briefing last week.
Piukala said that the biggest challenge they faced while reviewing Lulutai was that the previous governments had invested approximately $21 million in it.
He said he had just learned of a $10 million loan the airlines secured from the Retirement Fund Board.
He stated that out of the $10 million, $6 million was spent on the new Twin Otter, while $4 million was allocated for share purchases.
The Prime Minister said the government was reviewing the airlines to assess its financial viability.
PM Eke wanted to understand Lulutai’s operational capabilities, including assessing the staff to determine whether they possess the necessary qualifications.
The news follows revelations about civil servants’ concerns regarding their retirement funds and whether Lulutai Airlines could repay its loans.
Lulutai Airlines has been controversial since its inception in 2020 by the Tu’i’onetoa government, in which most of the outgoing Cabinet Ministers were members.
Experts, including assessors from the IMF, said that airlines in the Pacific Islands are generally not profitable ventures, except for Fijian airlines, in which Qantas holds a 46 percent share.
Lulutai has been accused of providing poor service, failing to communicate effectively with customers, and not offering an online service for passengers.
If Lulutai were to be liquidated, it would become the 14th airline to be shut down in the kingdom.
The government is assessing the possibility of ceasing Lulutai Airlines services due to its inability to meet financial obligations, the Minister for Public Enterprises says.
Minister for Public Enterprises Paula Piveni Piukala. Photo/Fale Alea ‘O Tonga
The news follows serious concerns among public servants after revelations that Lulutai had borrowed millions of their retirement funds.
The Minister for Public Enterprises, Piveni Piukala, said Lulutai Airlines service was taking a nosedive (“meleuku”).
He said the government-sponsored company’s operation was “very cloudy”.
He also said the airline’s management has asked for $7 million to revive the company.
“In a scenario where there is no $7 million, the company must be wound up,” Mr Piukala said during a media briefing last week.
Piukala said that the biggest challenge they faced while reviewing Lulutai was that the previous governments had invested approximately $21 million in it.
He said he had just learned of a $10 million loan the airlines secured from the Retirement Fund Board.
He stated that out of the $10 million, $6 million was spent on the new Twin Otter, while $4 million was allocated for share purchases.
The Prime Minister said the government was reviewing the airlines to assess its financial viability.
PM Eke wanted to understand Lulutai’s operational capabilities, including assessing the staff to determine whether they possess the necessary qualifications.
The news follows revelations about civil servants’ concerns regarding their retirement funds and whether Lulutai Airlines could repay its loans.
Loan guarantee
Eke previously said in an interview with Kaniva News that Lulutai’s loan from the Retirement Fund Board might be secure because the government guaranteed it.
However, he was concerned about the airline’s lack of transparency and the allegations of associated financial losses.
He said that if Lulutai failed to repay the money, the government would need to reallocate funds from other parts of the budget, which would be a problem.
Lulutai Airlines has been controversial since its inception in 2020 by the Tu’i’onetoa government, in which most of the outgoing Cabinet Ministers were members.
Experts, including assessors from the IMF, said that airlines in the Pacific Islands are generally not profitable ventures, except for Fijian airlines, in which Qantas holds a 46 percent share.
Lulutai has been accused of providing poor service, failing to communicate effectively with customers, and not offering an online service for passengers.
If Lulutai were to be liquidated, it would become the 14th airline to be shut down in the kingdom.
A man has been hospitalised after a group of men were reportedly fighting on Galway St in Auckland’s CBD early this morning.
A man has been hospitalised after a group of men were reportedly fighting on Galway St, in Auckland’s CBD. (Source: 1News)
Auckland City CIB Detective Senior Sergeant Martin Friend said police were called to an aggravated assault in central Auckland around 3.15am.
On arrival, he said officers found a man who had suffered serious injuries, and he was transported to hospital.
“The man is in a serious but stable condition. His injuries are not thought to be life-threatening,” Friend said.
Galway Street in Auckland’s CBD, as picture don Google Maps. (Source: Supplied)
An investigation was now underway into what occurred and to identify the offenders responsible.
Friend said police would be reviewing CCTV footage as part of inquiries, and urged anyone with information to update police online, by calling 105 or anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
