Only Edwards to stand trial on sedition count, confirms Crown [1]
Monday, September 14, 2009 - 18:18. Updated on Sunday, May 11, 2014 - 11:45.
The Crown has yet to decide if it should apply to re-open the criminal sedition case against four People's Representatives of 2006 who were acquitted of an indictment on a joint charge of seditious conspiracy by the Appeal Court of Tonga on Wednesday, September 9.
The Appeal Court's decision left only Clive Edwards, the Tongatapu No. 3 People's Representative, who will stand trial on a criminal sedition indictment, relating to the November 16, 2006 destruction in Nuku'alofa.
The four who were aquitted were, 'Akilisi Pohiva, 'Isileli Pulu, 'Uliti Uata, and Lepolo Taunisila.
'Aminiasi Kefu, the Solicitor General and the Acting Attorney General, said today that normally the Court of Appeal has the final say, but a case can be reopened if there are substantial findings where they can challenge the decision. He referred generally to the translations from Tongan to English, which could have altered the meaning of some of what were considered to be seditious words as they were spoken in Tongan.