People's Reps face inquiry on joint sedition charges [1]
Monday, May 14, 2007 - 20:14. Updated on Tuesday, May 20, 2014 - 19:19.
The hearing of a Preliminary Inquiry for five People's Representatives on sedition charges relating to the riots of November 16, started at the Nuku'alofa Police Magistrate's Court this morning.
A number of charges relating to the November 16 riots have been levelled at the PRs but today's hearing focused on the sedition charges.
The PRs, 'Akilisi Pohiva, 'Isileli Pulu, William Clive Edwards, 'Uliti Uata and Lepolo Taunisila were charged with sedition, relating to an incident that took place in the Cabinet room at the Prime Minister's Office on the afternoon of November 16 last year.
Edwards and Taunisila also faced a second charge of sedition for what they allegedly said in a meeting at Pangai Si'i on November 16. It was alleged that they along with other speakers committed sedition when they said over the loud speaker at Pangai Si'i, "that they do not know what to do and for the people to do what they feel like doing."
Taunisila at the same incident was reported to have called for the Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers, "why run and hide, come, as your life is in the palm of my hand and there is only one person that rules the people and that is me."
These words together with others were alleged to have been intended to initiate disruption.
Cabinet Room
The other joint charges, which all five accused face, related to what was said in the Cabinet Room that afternoon.
The court was told that 'Akilisi Pohiva and the other four PRs entered the Cabinet Room and said, "the government must accept our proposal for the people to elect the 21 representatives to Parliament and the nobles to elect nine making it a total of 30 representatives.
"The people want an answer but if government does not accept this Nuku'alofa will be destroyed and there will be considerable damage as well, the rule of law is a fraud."
'Isileli Pulu is charged that in the Cabinet Room he said, Government Ministers, nobles and the government must accept their proposal now "because the damage is increasing," and he had been around and had seen this damage.
'Uliti Uata is charged that he said to the Cabinet, that, "the people have given you the opportunity in the House to agree to the proposal for the people to elect the 21 members of parliament and they have also given you the nobles the opportunity in the House to elect nine of their representatives, now we are telling you that the people will elect the 30 representatives, but this would have been prevented if the Speaker of the House accepted our proposal in the House."
Taunisila and Edwards were also charged with Sedition, relating to what they said in the Cabinet Room that afternoon.
First witness
Following the reading of charges by Police Magistrate Peau Pifeleti, the prosecution team called their first witness, police officer Kalotia Hakalo who confirmed to the court that her duty was to record programs on local television. She told the court that she recorded a program dated November 15, 2006 of the five accused on the OBN Television.
The program, which was shown in court, dealt with the issue of the Shoreline Power and how it was to be sold back to Government and it also showed the representatives calling on the people to attend a meeting the next day November 16, 2006 at Pangai Si'i and to support the proposal for political change.
The Crown Prosecutor is Peter Little assisted by Senior Crown counsel 'Aminiasi Kefu.
For the defence 'Akilisi Pohiva and 'Uliti Uata are represented by Christopher Harder while Clive Edwards is representing 'Isileli Pulu and himself. Lepolo Taunisila is also representing herself in court.
The Preliminary Inquiry will continue tomorrow and may continue for several days. At the end of the Preliminary Inquiry the Magistrate will decide whether or not the cases will be passed on to the Supreme Court for trial.