Lord Lasike pleads not guilty

The Speaker of the Tonga Legislative Assembly, Lord Lasike has surrendered another passport to the Supreme Court on January 27, after pleading not guilty to a charge of unlawful possession of ammunition.Appearing before Justice Robert Shuster, Lasike elected to be tried by a jury on the charge of unlawful possession of two .22 ammunition without a licence. His case was adjourned to February 10 to be called before the Chief Justice Hon Michael Dishington Scott, when a date for his trial will be fixed.Lasike, who is not allowed to travel outside of Tonga until his trial is completed, was asked by the judge whether he had any other passports apart from the diplomatic passport he had surrendered to the court, on January 20. When Lasike answered, yes, Justice Shuster ordered for that second passport to be surrendered immediately to the court before extending his bail.The accused was represented by William Edwards with the Solicitor General 'Aminiasi Kefu acting for the Crown.