Mateni fights to keep his seat [1]
Thursday, September 3, 2015 - 20:24. Updated on Thursday, September 3, 2015 - 20:25.
A Supreme Court decision on whether or not People's Representative, Mateni Tapueluelu, will lose his parliamentary seat, will be made on 12-13 November, Lord Chief Justice O. G. Paulsen, stated yesterday September 2.
Mateni was elected as the People’s Representative for the Tongatapu Constituent No. 4, during Tonga’s November 2014 Parliamentary Election.
But following the election the Attorney General claimed Mateni breached clause 65 of the Tongan Constitution because when he submitted his nomination for election there was an outstanding court order against him. This was a Magistrate’s Court judgment on 17 June 2011 for Mateni to pay William Clive Edwards Snr $10,000 in damages and costs of $4,500.
The Attorney General applied to the Supreme Court to declare the election of Mateni into the Tongan parliament as unlawful and invalid.
Lord Chief Justice Paulsen stated that the defendant is expected to file a statement of defence by September 4, and the case will be tried on 12-13 November 2015.
Earlier, on August 31 two applications were heard. The Attorney General applied for an order for the salary and benefits of the defendant as a People’s Representative to be paid into Court or withheld by the Crown until the case is heard.
There was also an application by the defendant to strike out the claim on the grounds that it did not disclose a cause of action or is an abuse of the process of the Court.
However, at the hearing, the Acting Attorney-General ‘Aminiasi Kefu SC advised the court that he no longer wished to pursue his application for withholding of the salary, and Lord Chief Justice O. G. Paulsen dismissed the defendant’s application.
Mateni Tapueluelu is the son in law of Tonga's Prime Minister, 'Akilisi Pohiva.