Campaigning PRs reported giving money to kava club [1]
Thursday, February 21, 2008 - 13:49. Updated on Wednesday, July 22, 2015 - 14:32.
Highlights from Tonga's newspapers, February 11-14, 2007. An English translation summary by Tevita Fonua.
At a kava club for the youths of Manuka, it was announced that People's Representatives 'Akilisi Pohiva, 'Isileli Pulu, and Clive Edwards had generously donated $3,000. According to a report in the Taimi on February 11, there was clapping and loud cheers from the crowd assembled at the kava club. But it emerged later on, that the money did not come from the representatives' own pockets, but from funds that were apportioned by the Legislative Assembly to each constituency.
The Kele'a on February 13 claimed that Shoreline executives Soane and Joseph Ramanlal are not paying for electricity to their homes at Fo'ui, Havelu, 'Anana and Kolofo'ou. Meanwhile, the Kele'a said the electricity tariff to be paid by the poor people of this country keeps climbing.
The Talaki published on February 13 the findings of its own investigation into the suspicions surrounding the death on 16/11 of teenager Senituli Tauki'uvea. It concluded, with the assistance of a photograph the newspaper had recently acquired and showing Senituli as he nears the Shoreline office on that day; that the person in a video footage differs in appearance, in clothes, and in size from Senituli but more closely resembles Toma'akino of Matahau. These video images purportedly showing Senituli as still alive, wee shot while the Shoreline office was in an advanced stage of burning and had led to speculation that he was later killed and then thrown in the fire.
The Kalonikali on February 14 quotes the government's information branch as saying that the Minister of Finance was not told to resign, and he has not resigned.
The Taimi on February 11, front-paged claims by political activist 'Alani Taione that Noble Ma'afu, the estate holder of Vaini, did not want him to set foot in Vaini last Monday night.