Ammunition, cash and drugs were seized in a police bust in Tongatapu’s Hahake district on Tuesday 10.
Police Commissioner Shane McLennan said officers found 124.77grams of methamphetamine, 68.92 grams of cannabis and TOP$10,310 cash.
Cash, loaded gun and drugs seized in police bust. Photo/Supplied
Police arrested a 33-year-old man from Tatakamotonga for possession and supply of illicit drugs.
It came after the police intercepted the suspect on a public road between Holonga and Pelehake where they found in his vehicle methamphetamine, cannabis, cash and a loaded firearm.
A further search was carried out at the suspect’s residence at Tatakamotonga where more drugs, cash and drug utensils were found.
The accused is being remanded in custody to appear in court on Monday, 23 January 2023.
Mr McLennan acknowledges members of his team and the public for their collaborative efforts to bring forward those involved in illicit drug supply.
“Tonga Police will continue to bring before the courts those who are involved in distributing and selling of illicit drugs, which is affecting our people and communities.”
Anyone with information on drug-related activities can contact Police on 740-1630,740-1632 or 922.
Scientists in New Zealand are running a trial of a combined vaccine for both flu and Covid-19.
The Wellington P3 Research experts believes the combined vaccine will reduce the workload for healthcare services.
The company was looking for people aged between 50 and 80 years old to take part in the clinical trial, which is investigating whether the single vaccine can effectively prevent both illnesses.
The company conducted research on behalf of a range of pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer and AstraZeneca – two major Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers.
Covid-19 and influenza were among the more common viruses leading to severe illness and hospitalisation in older adults, P3 Research said, and currently individual vaccinations provided the best protection against each disease.
As well as the age requirement, it was looking for participants who were in good health, and were fully vaccinated against Covid-19 (with or without the booster).
They must not have had a Covid-19 infection in the last two months.
The study would require willing participants to receive a vaccination and then attend follow-up appointments for six months.
The new research in New Zealand came after scientists in the US were working on a shot that could protect against Covid-19, its variants, certain seasonal colds — and the next coronavirus pandemic.
The US researchers were starting to develop prototypes of a so-called pancoronavirus vaccine, with some promising, if early,results from experiments on animals. Dr. Eric Topol, a professor of molecular medicine at the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, thinks scientists should join together in another large-scale vaccine-creation project immediately.
“We have to get a real work force to accelerate this, so we can have it this year,” he said. Dr. Topol and Dennis Burton, a Scripps immunologist, called for this project on broad coronavirus vaccines on Monday in the journal Nature.
FAKAMATALA FAKATONGA
Kamata ‘a hono tesi’i ‘i Nu’u Sila ha faito’o huhu malu’i e lava ke fakataha’i pe ai ‘a e faito’o ki he Koviti’ mo e Fuluu’.
Ko e ngāue’ ni ‘oku fakahoko ‘e he kau mataotao mei he kautaha Wellinton P3 Research ‘a ia ‘oku nau tui ‘e ma’ama’a ange heni ‘a e ngāue’.
‘Oku fai ‘a e fakatotolo’ ni fakafofonga’i ai ‘a e ngaahi kautaha ‘oku nau tu’uaki ‘a e faito’o hangē ko e Pfizer mo e AstraZeneca – ‘a ia ko e ongo kautaha lalahi ia ‘oku na fa’u ‘a e huhu malu’i Koviti’.
Ko e kakai ko ‘eni ‘oku tesi’i ai ‘a e faito’o ko eni ko e kakai pe ‘oku nau mo’ui lelei, ‘osi huhu malu’i kakato mei he Koviti ‘o tatau pe pe kuo nau ‘osi hoani pe ‘ikai.
Ko e hu mai ‘eni ‘a e huhu malu’i’ ni hili ia ha ngaue ‘a e kau saienisi ‘Amelika’ ki ha huhu malu’i te ne lava malu’i ‘a e Koviti, hono ngaahi fōtunga kehe, ngaahi mahaki pau ‘o e fa’ahita’u Momoko pea mo e vailasi kolona.
Na’e fa’u au ‘e he kau fakatotolo ‘Amelika ha polototaipe ‘a ia ko e vekisini ne sai ‘aupito ia ‘a ia ko e ola ia ‘o ha ‘ahi’ahi ‘i he monumanu’.
UPDATED: A drink driver who caused the death of a university graduate after their two cars racing at high speed along a main road has been sent to jail for six years.
Netane Nimo, 26, died at Vaiola hospital on June 19, 2022 at around 12.30am.
Netane Nimo
The prisoner, Titali To’ia, also known as Tevita To’ia, last month admitted to causing death by careless driving.
He pleaded guilty and apologised to the victim’s girlfriend.
The Supreme Court in Nuku’alofa heard Tō’ia admitting “that the time he has spent in custody has taught him a lot and he truly feels remorseful for what he had done”.
Nimo was the oldest of five children.
“The family invested in him by sending him to Fiji to get an education. He returned home to await his graduation on 18 November, 2022. Sadly, his family never saw him graduate, instead they stood in to represent and receive his degree”, the judgement read.
The court heard that late on Saturday evening 18 June, 2022 To’ia was driving east in a car on Taufa’ahau Road towards Veitongo.
At the same time, Nimo was also travelling in a car on Taufa’ahau Road to return to his home in Vaini after having seen his girlfriend at Fangaloto.
“Both men had consumed alcohol. They met on the main road, Taufa’ahau Road, at Ha’ateiho where they began racing at a speed of 100 km/hr or more”.
At one stage while they were racing, the deceased was about to overtake To’ia’s car but To’ia veered his car towards the right side of the road, hitting the left rear of the victim’s car causing both to lose control of their respective vehicles.
“As a result of the impact, the victim’s car skidded and spun sideways hitting an electricity pole on the right side of the road breaking it in half landing back on the road facing in the opposite direction towards Nuku’alofa”, the court document read.
The victim was rushed to the hospital and was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Justice Tupou convicted To’ia for dangerous driving causing death and had sentenced him last month to a six-year imprisonment term.
“To give effect to the totality principle, I add 4 years and 6 months of this sentence to the head sentence in CR 80 of 2022 resulting in an aggregate sentence of 8 years imprisonment”, Mrs Tupou said.
“I am importing the period of suspension in CR 80 of 2022 here and suspend the final 12 months of the aggregate sentence for two years on the following conditions , namely, that during the said period of suspension, the Defendant is to:
(a) not commit any offence punishable by imprisonment;
(b) be placed on probation;
(c) report to the probation office within 48 hours of his release from prison and thereafter as directed by his probation officer;
(d) reside where directed by his probation officer;
(e) complete courses in alcohol and drugs awareness and life skills as directed by his probation officer.
Failure to comply with any of those conditions will result in the suspension being rescinded , in which case, the Defendant may be required to serve the balance of his sentence in prison”.
Fiji is preparing for another Covid-19 surge after the country’s push for tourism partnerships with China and appearance of a new variant.
Early this month, Fiji’s Tourism Minister Viliame Gavoka said the country would boost marketing efforts with China after his call with chargé d’affaires and Political Counselor, Wang Xuguang.
With the country’s recent detection of the XBB.1.5 variant of Covid-19 – nicknamed The Kraken – and China’s loosening of its Covid-related border restrictions, Fijian authorities are ramping up their detection methods.
A Ministry of Health official said Fiji would start to distinguish between the different variants of Covid-19 using genomic sequencing.
“No we haven’t separated them yet. We’ve been able to do genomic sequencing fairly recently and we are testing that now.
“Which means that anyone, any person of interest who develops symptoms, if they do test positive we will definitely do genomic sequencing here now that we can do it locally.”
The official said Fiji does not require proof of a negative test for now, as authorities are hoping border restrictions in other countries will offer a layer of protection.
“Because we don’t have any direct flights from China and we know that other countries are demanding testing before they arrive to their country.
“So it means they get tested before they reach Fiji. At least that’s a layer or filter for us. But Fiji is not demanding a negative test.”
While there are currently no direct flights from China to Fiji, tourists can come via Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and Los Angeles.
Fiji’s border is open to fully-vaccinated travellers only.
FAKAMATALA FAKATONGA
‘Oku tu’u mateuteu ‘a Fiji ia ki ha toe fetaulaki fefeka mo e Kōviti – 19 hili ia ha teke ‘a e fonua ke fai ha fengāue’aki fakatakimamata mo Siaina pea mo e toe ‘asi mai ko ia ‘a e kalasi vailasi fo’ou. Na’e pehē ‘e he minisitā ki he Takimamata ‘a Fisi, Gavoka ‘e hiki’i ‘a e ivi ngāue fakamāketi mo Siaina ‘i he ‘osi ko ia ‘ene talanoa mo e Konisela Fale’i fakapolitikale ko Wang Xuguang. Mei hono ‘ilo’i ko ia ‘i he fonua ‘a e kalasi vailasi fo’ou ko ia ‘O E kŌVITI – 19 ko e XBB.1.5, ‘o ui fakatenetene ‘aki ‘a e Kraken pe ko e fu’u tēvolo tahi – pea ‘oku fakangalokuloku ai ‘e Siaina ‘ene fakataputapui ko ia ‘o e Kōvioti ke taki taha nofo ma’u ‘i hono feitu’u, kuo filio’i ai ‘e he kau ma’u mafai ‘o Fisi ‘enau founga siofi ke ‘ilo ha me’a ‘oku puli. Na’e pehē ‘e ha ‘ōfisa mei he Potungāue Mo’ui ‘e kamata ‘e Fisi ‘a hono fakafaikehekehe’i ‘o e kalasi kehekehe ‘o e vailasi Kōviti – 19 ‘o ngāue’aki ‘a hono fakakalasi ko ia ‘o e ‘ulungaanga pe tō’onga mo’ui ‘a e vailasi. ” ‘Oku te’eki ke mau fakamavahevahe’i kinautolu ‘i he taimi ni. ‘Oku malava pe eni ke mau fakakalasi lelei kinautolu pea ‘oku mau lolotonga sivi’i ia ‘i he taimi ni. ‘Oku ‘uhinga ‘eni, ko ha taha, ha fa’ahinga taha pē ‘oku ngalingali ke ke ‘asi mei ai ‘a e ngaahi faka’ilonga, pea kapau ‘e sivi’i kinautolu ‘oku nau puke pea kuo pau ke mau fakahoko ‘a hono sivi’i pē ‘i heni, fakalotofonua pē, ke ‘ilo ‘a e fa’ahinga kalasi vailasi ko ia.” Pehē ‘e he ‘ōfisa ‘oku ‘ikai toe fiema’u ‘e Fisi ia he taimi ni ha toe sivi ke fqkamo’oni’i pe ‘oku hao, he ‘oku ‘amanaki ‘a e kau ma’u mafai ‘e fai ‘e he fakangatangata ‘o e fe’alu’aki ‘a e ngaahi fonua ha konga ‘e taha ‘o e malu’i. ” ‘I he ‘uhinga ko ia ‘oku ‘ikai fai ha’amau fepuna’aki hangatonu mo Siaina pea ‘oku mau ‘ilo ‘oku tu’utu’uni ‘e he ngaahi fonua ha sivi kimu’a pea nau toki tū’uta ange ki honau fonua. ‘Oku ‘uhinga leva ia ‘oku sivi’i kinautolu ia kimu’a pea nau toki a’u mai ki Fisi. Ko e malu’i ia pe sivi’anga ma’a kimautolu. Ka ‘oku ‘ikai ke toe tu’utu’unia ‘e Fisi ia ha sivi ke fakapapau’i pe ‘oku hao.” Lolotongako ‘eni ‘o e ‘ikai ha fepuna’aki hangatonu mei Siaina ki Fisi, ‘e malava ke ha’u e kau folau ‘eve’eva ia ‘o fou mai ‘i ‘Aositelēlia, Nu’usila, Singapoa, Hongi Kongo mo Los Angeles. ‘Oku ‘atā kakato ‘a e kau’āfonua ia ‘o Fiji ki he kau folau ‘eve’eva kuo nau ‘osi huhu malu’i kakato.
The PTOA Party has announced its only candidate for next week’s by-election for an MP for Tongatapu 8.
PTOA Party Candidate Sōsefo Ngavisi Hehea
The by-election on Thursday January 19 was officially announced to elect a replacement for late MP Semisi Fakahau.
The sole PTOA candidate is Sosefo Ngavisi Hehea.
All PTOA factions have agreed to acknowledge Hehea as the party’s only official candidate.
The party has repeatedly warned its members and supporters to learn from the big mistake it made in the 2021 general election when its leaders’ dispute split its supporters, causing them to form two competing PTOA factions.
One group, the PTOA People’s Board, was led by Siaosi Pōhiva while the rival PTOA Core Team was headed by Sēmisi Sika.
The factions chose rival candidates to compete in almost all of the 17 constituencies. The result was devastating for the Democrats. They lost almost all their sitting MPs. Most of the PTOA’s senior MPs and leaders were defeated by new and independent candidates.
The collapse of the PTOA’s fortunes can be traced to the death of Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva, who had been the party’s driving force for many years.
In April 2020 party member Dr Tui Uata told Radio New Zealand the spirit of unity in the Democratic party disappeared when Hon. Pohiva died.
At the time Dr Uata blamed the late Prime Minister’s son-in-law, Mateni Tapueluelu, for causing the fracture in the party’s ranks.
Dr Uata claimed Mr Tapueluelu was pushing for the Deputy Prime Minister’s position before Mr Pohiva’s death and this upset party deputy Pohiva Tu’i’onetoa, who then joined forces with the Nobles to win the premiership.
This forced the remains of the PTOA out of power.
In the wake of the election, Kaniva News made this comment on the PTOA’s disastrous showing:
“The democrats should have won if they had been united and settled their differences.
Dissatisfaction at the government’s flagrant mishandling of the road projects, their tour of the islands to supposedly pray Covid-19 away while receiving gifts and feasting and the Prime Minister’s prolonged refusal to act against convicted Cabinet Minister ‘Akosita Lavulavu all grated with the voters.
The sobering reality is that the government did not so much win this election as the PTOA lost it.
All PTOA supporters can hope for at this stage is that the leaders of the two party factions learn this bitter lesson well: If they are ever to regain power they must reconcile with each other and rediscover the late ‘Akilisi Pohiva’s vision for a truly democratic Tonga.”
For more information
A sobering reality hits Democrats after election losses; voters elect nine new faces
The latest act in a long running fraud case involving former Governor of Vava’u, Lord Fulivai and his wife Helen, will take place in the Auckland District Court January next year.
Lord Fulivai and his wife Lady Helen Fulivai
It is understood the case has been delayed by the backlog of cases due to Covid-19 in the New Zealand court system.
A 10 day trial has been set down for January 15, 2024.
Lord and Lady Fulivai have been involved in a long running dispute with Auckland businessman Christopher Barrett.
As Kaniva News reported earlier, in October 2021, the High Court in Auckland ordered that the Fulivais repay Barrett $253,370.60, the equivalent of $TP407,777.
The couple were also served with an affadavit showing that the Tongan Supreme Court had allowed the New Zealand judgement to be registered in the central registry of the Supreme Court under the terms of a reciprocal enforcement of judgements order.
Justice Venning ruled in the New Zealand High Court that the Fulivais must repay the money together with interest dating back to January 1, 2018; repayment of loans with interests and costs for the entire proceedings.
Barrett told the court that the then Governor assured him he could organize a 99-year lease of land on Pangaimotu island in Vava’u for $170,000.
Barrett said he did not receive any lease and the defendants were therefore in breach of the agreement.
Barrett said Lord Fulivai made various promises to grant leases of other pieces of land in Vava’u.
“I was duped,” he said.
“I received a series of requests from both defendants seeking loans from me over the following years. Unfortunately, I naively trusted them and made loans to them as requested from time to time.”
These were not repaid.
New Zealand Police investigated claims against the Fulivais and charged them with obtaining money by deception.
A statement lodged with the court by Barrett’s legal representative said Lord Fulivai had admitted responsibility to repay the $170,000 and $21,500 in loans. The Fulivais had agreed to take no further action in the proceedings last October.
Documents showed that Lord Fulivai used the King’s name and that of the Prime Minister and Health Minister Saia Piukala in his dealings with Barratt.
Barrett has also pursued Lord Fulivai and his Seattle-based cousin Micheal Thomson for $550,000 for work on a yellow fin tuna project.
The Fulivais will be defended in their 2024 trial by controversial lawyer Kahungunu Barron-Afeaki, who has been declared bankrupt twice.
Barron-Afeaki has provided advice to the King of Tonga, its government and royal commissions of inquiry.
He has also acted in several prominent cases in New Zealand, including as counsel for former Maori Television chief executive John Davy, who was fired from the network and later jailed for fraud.
For more information
Lord and Lady Fulivai served with demand for payment of $253,000 to Auckland businessman after court rulings in Tonga and New Zealand
Tonga’s first and new national university is set to open its doors to post-secondary students in the kingdom on Friday next week.
Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku. Photo/Screenshot (Radio FM87.5)
Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku said the university will start by delivering new five bachelor programmes including Bachelor of Education (primary and secondary), Bachelor of Computer Science, Bachelor of Tourism and Bachelor of Agriculture.
As Kaniva News reported previously, the university is expected to unite various existing institutes including the Tonga Institute of Education, Tonga Institute of Higher Education, Tonga Institute of Science and Technology, Tonga Maritime Polytech Institute, Queen Salote Institute of Nursing and Allied Health, as well as the Tonga Police College.
An open day on January 27 will allow students to visit the campus at Pahu and explore their study options, catch a sample lecture, and talk to staff.
It will offer academic, technical, and vocational programmes and qualifications from certificate to post-doctorate level.
Tonga is a member of Fiji-based University of the South Pacific (USP), a public research university with locations spread throughout a dozen countries in Oceania.
USP is an international centre for teaching and research on Pacific culture and environment, with almost 30,000 students in 2017.
It has campus on the main island of Tongatapu and sister centres on Tonga’s Ha’apai and Vava’u islands.
The first university to have been established in Tonga was ‘Atenisi University, a private institute which was founded by late Professor Futa Helu in 1975.
Diabetes NZ wants Pharmac to fund ‘life-changing’ monitors for diabetics
A new type of glucose monitoring system with an alarm is being released today (file picture). Photo: 123rf
Diabetes NZ wants Pharmac to fund a “life-changing” device that can measure diabetics’ blood sugar levels instantly.
New Zealanders living with diabetes can now measure their blood sugar levels instantly through a new continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system, which launched on Tuesday.
The FreeStyle Libre 2 is a small wearable sensor that attaches to the back of the wearer’s arm and shares glucose data to a smartphone app.
Previously, people living with diabetes were required to prick their fingers and draw blood many times a day to monitor their glucose levels.
Diabetes New Zealand chief executive Heather Verry said the technology has been around for a while, but the new sensor has the added benefit of having alarms.
The sensor gives information to the smartphone or meter, she said.
“It now sets off alarms to highlight to people that their blood glucose levels are trending high or low, so that’s a really huge addition to this technology.”
The technology was life-changing for those with diabetes, she said.
“Quite apart from the fact that they don’t have to prick their fingers every few hours, which is something. It also gives people the opportunity to better manage their diabetes, less days off work, less hospitalisation.”
It could also help prevent the onset of diabetes complications such as renal failure, blindness or lower limb amputations.
The new alarm would help the whole family, Verry said. Until now parents have had to wake their diabetic children at night to ensure their blood levels were regular which meant neither the parents nor the child had a good night’s sleep, she said.
“When you’re living with that seven days a week and there’s no break from it – you can’t go on holiday from diabetes, it’s there with you.”
The system was publicly funded in Australia and the UK, but unfortunately the new system was not funded by Pharmac, she said.
“It’s a real issue for us because it’s an equity one and only those that can afford it will be able to take advantage of such wonderful technology – and at $50 a week it’s a huge cost.”
Members of the public living as far north as Lake Ellesmere, also known as Te Waihora are asked to report sighting a grey or blue tarpaulin, blue shorts, and a green plastic dinghy.
Lionati Fotofili
This comes after a blue and white T-shirt was found during the search for a missing Tongan pastor who went missing at a South Canterbury river mouth on December 30.
Lionati Fotofili was reported missing at the mouth of the Ōpihi River after he did not return home from a fishing trip the night before.
The family of the 44-year-old father of two are launching their own intensive search party, about more than a week after he was last seen.
“We are continuing with our own search hoping & praying for his safe return”, a spokesperson for the family wrote on Facebook on January 6.
It is understood search efforts involving police, the New Zealand Air Force, coastguard and surf lifesaving has so far failed to find Fotofili, who was also known by the name Lio.
The family and friends’ own searches were announced after it appeared the official search for Fotofili had not resumed.
Fotofili’s community gathered to support his family in their search for him by holding prayer services, sharing tributes online and meeting at beaches.
“Prayer is powerful and we know that. We love you Lio. We are all praying from first light until the sun goes down and this will have a good outcome I can feel it in my heart”, a post on Facebook read in Tongan.
