Shoreline whistleblower, Piveni Piukala, held by Tonga police [1]
Tuesday, June 28, 2005 - 12:45. Updated on Friday, May 9, 2014 - 16:19.
Tongan police are currently holding in custody the Shoreline whistleblower Piveni Piukala after he was arrested in Nuku‘alofa yesterday, June 27.
Piukula, who left Tonga for Fiji in March, after revealing inside information from Shoreline accounts, had returned to Tonga on Thursday with a Fiji golf team intending to take part in a Heilala golf tournament.
Deputy Commander Taniela Faletau today confirmed the arrest and said that Piukala was being charged under the Computer Crimes Act.
Piukala appeared in the Nuku'alofa Magistrate's Court yesterday afternoon before Magistrate Vaha'i Foliaki, and was remanded in police custody. The Magistrate accepted the police submission for the accused to be kept in their custody for 48 hours, effective from 12 pm, yesterday, so the police could complete their investigation.
Piveni Piukala was the Manager of the Computer Division of Shoreline, Tonga's electric power supplier, who in a series of interviews with the Kele'a newspaper in March, revealed the high salaries of the executives and problems inside Shoreline.
The Kele'a also published the Shoreline company accounts details, including the details of the directors spending. Shoreline is owned by Tonga's Crown Prince Tupouto'a and his business partners.
It is understood that Piukala took his family to Fiji after making his allegations against Shoreline, and it was reported by the Kele'a, at the time, that he had been threatened.
Piukala returned to Tonga as the organiser of the Fiji golf team that was to take part in the Heilala Classic Open Amateur Golf Tournament on Tongatapu, this Saturday July 2.