Editor,
In regard to your article, "Tongan Cabinet Minister ordered to work in bondage " on March 20 2008, one of the reasons why the Prime Minister is ordering Hon. Fineasi Funaki " to work without pay for three months " is that " his practice was illegal."
I can fully understand the mitigating circumstances utilized here by Dr. Feleti Sevele to reach his decision on Hon. Fineasi Funaki's case. What I don't understand are:-
1) Why was Hon. Fineasi Funaki not tried in a Court of Law like everyone else who breaks the law?
2) Why was Hon. Fineasi Funaki, a high government official, not strictly held to a higher degree of responsibility for his illegal act?
3) The contradiction and hypocricy in the final decision made by Prime Minister/Cabinet/King George V in Hon. Finease Funaki's case is somewhat suspicious and incomprehensible to the mind of a reasonable man.
In my opinion, it would have been in the best interest of the people of Tonga and the rest of the world to do one of the following:-
(i) Fire Hon. Fineasi Funaki or punish him to fit the illegal act that he committed.
(ii) Acquit Hon. Fineasi Funaki outright because he did not have any intention to commit any crime.
Anyway, this letter is simply food for the thought. Frankly, I am grateful that the Prime Minister had displayed love and forgiveness to one of his fellowmen who exercised some poor judgement.
I hope that the Government of Tonga will enact laws to treat all people as equal and hold high government employees to a higher standard of professional ethics to show the world that Tonga is a real civilized country.
Yours sincerely,
Siosaia Fatani.
sstuakoi [at] yahoo [dot] com
