The Prime Minister, Hon. ‘Akilisi Pohiva this afternoon, at a press conference, sentenced Hon. ‘Etuate Lavulavu for corruption by terminating his ministerial post as Minister of Infrastructure. At the same time he decided to retain Lavulavu as a Minister of Tourism, to slave without pay for five months as from January 2016.

The Prime Minister’s decision is unprecedented, taking into account that Lavulavu had admitted and confessed his wrong doing in parliament, when a petition for his impeachment was debated in parliament during October and early November.

At a press conference the Prime Minister gave a brief summary of how he concluded his decision to retain a corrupt member of parliament as a member of his Cabinet. He said that he insisted for parliament to let him punish Lalvulavu.

When the House decided not to impeach Lavulavu, the vote, according to the PM, was a vote for him to punish Lavulavu, but not for the House to impeach Lavulavu.

However, the PM's interpretation of the meaning of the vote, contrasted with the Minutes of the proceedings in the House and the record of the Clerk of the House.

No questions

No questions were allowed by the Prime Minister at his Press Conference held at the Fa'onelua Centre. When the Tonga Broadcasting Commission's reporter Viola Ulakai got hold of a microphone and asked if she could ask a question, the microphone was taken away.

Meanwhile, an Election Petition case that has been brought against Lavulavu for corruption and illegal activities during his campaign for the 2014 General Election has been deferred to 30 November.