The PRs' political career at risk [1]
Tuesday, February 20, 2007 - 18:19. Updated on Sunday, May 11, 2014 - 12:11.
The four People's Representatives, 'Akilisi Pohiva, 'Isileli Pulu, William Clive Edwards and Lepolo Taunisila who have been charged with sedition could lose their parliamentary seats and their right to stand for re-election if they are found guilty by the courts.
A spokesperson from the office of the Tonga Legislative Assembly said, on February 20, that under Clause 23 of the Tongan Constitution, a person who had been convicted of a criminal offence punishable by imprisonment for more than two years, could neither hold a government office nor be elected as a representative to the Legislative Assembly "unless he has received from the King a pardon."
Under the Criminal Offences Act, a person who is found guilty of Sedition is liable to imprisonment for any period not exceeding seven years.
The spokesperson said that once the accused was found guilty, the length of the sentence was immaterial, because the guilty verdict would enforce Clause 23 of the Tongan Constitution.
If the court cases of the accused PR's were to be still proceeding when parliament opens in May, the spokesperson said that the judge would decide whether or not to postpone the hearing until the end of the 2007 parliamentary session or for the hearing to continue.
The four PR's who have been charged with sedition and other counts will appear in the Magistrate's Court for their Preliminary Inquiry hearings during the last week of March. Following the preliminary inquiry hearings dates will be set for a trial in the Supreme Court either by a judge alone or by a jury.