Witness supports accused PR [1]
Friday, July 4, 2008 - 19:15. Updated on Tuesday, July 28, 2015 - 16:48.
‘Isileli Pulu did not wave his hand nor did he tell people to smash and burn down the Shoreline building, defence witness Puniani Tu'ipulotu told the jury at the Nuk'alofa Supreme Court this morning, July 4.
Puniani, a retired civil servant, said he was about two or three yards away from Pului as they walked along Taufa'ahau Road toward the Shoreline Building on the afternoon of November 16, 2006.
He said he did not speak to the accused, but he never saw him raise and wave his hand so as to direct people to Shoreline nor did he hear him shout out "to smash and burn Shoreline."
"If 'Isi waved his hand or yelled to smash and burn Shoreline I would have heard about it because I was walking behind him but he did not do that," said the witness.
Counsel Clive Edwards put to him that two witnesses alleged in their evidence they overhead the accused talk on his phone saying, "some are already there to smash and burn Shoreline," and one said "am on my way but am nearly there."
The witness said he did not hear Pulu make such a remark, and when they got to Shoreline the building was already damaged and computers including phone cards were everywhere outside.
Cross Examination
Crown Prosecutor Soana Moala in cross-examining the witness, asked if he was acquainted with the accused.
Puniani answered that he knew the accused because they are from the same district, he is from Ma'ufanga whereas the accused is from Houmakelikao. He also added that they drink kava together.
But he said after November 16 he had never drunk kava with Pulu again nor had he spoken to him.
He said there were many people when he walked to Shoreline and he was not there to watch Pulu but to watch the destruction.
The witness also confirmed that people were yelling, and there was a lot of noise as people were running while he walking down to Shoreline.
When the Crown Prosecutor put to him if it was possible that Pulu could have said something that the witness did not hear because of the noise, the witness answered, yes, it could happen.
The witness added that after arriving at Shoreline he lost sight of the accused because the site was like a shopping spree as people were running around for the phone cards, but the building at this time had not caught on fire.
Defence witness
The witness is the second to give evidence for the defence.
He recalled that on November 16 he was working in central Nuku'alofa when the events took place. He came on Taufa'ahau Road to see what was happening people and saw people running around. He added that when he reached the Ramanlal Hotel people were smashing it.
"I stood on the roadside opposite the hotel to watch and I saw people heading out but I did not recognise anyone of them. I then went to Shoreline and while walking there I saw 'Isi and many others walking in front of me," the witness said.