Tonga’s Public Service Association Inc. and the Prime Minister Hon ‘Akilisi Pohiva have been granted a stay on a Court Order that required them to lodge $20,000 pa'anga each in security costs to the courts before they could take action against Tongasat.

The security costs are stayed pending a ruling from the Court of Appeal in September this year.

This is in relation to former Chief Justice Scott's ruling in March earlier this year ordering PSA and PM Pohiva to pay $20,000 each by way of security to the Supreme Court before their action regarding the alleged unlawful payment of Chinese aid money to Friendly Island Satellite Communications Ltd. (trading as Tongasat) can proceed to trial.

PSA and PM Pohiva appealed this decision.

This was another action arising out of the disbursement by the then Government of Tonga to FISC and others of the greater part of USD$25,450,000 received in grant aid from the Government of People’s Republic of China.

R.E Harrison QC, SC acted for the applicants, and S.J Stanton and William Edwards for the respondents.