Lavulavu trial continues Monday [1]
Thursday, December 10, 2015 - 17:33
The trial to hear an election petition filed against Hon ‘Etuate Lavulavu for illegal campaigning and corruption will continue on Monday, 14 December, to hear the remaining witnesses for the defendant at the Supreme Court in Neiafu.
It is understood that 11 out of 18 witnesses for Lavulavu will give their evidence before Chief Justice O.G. Paulsen when the trial continues.
Former Vava'u candidate Tomifa Paea, who was present in court on 9 December, said a witness for Lavulavu, Piu [a matapule] told the court that the road construction carried out in Vava'u 16 constitutency was under the Vava'u Road Council.
The witness said he went with the district officer of Leimatu'a and asked the defendant for the help of the Vava'u Road Council to repair their roads because they were tired of waiting for Viliami Latu (the petitioner) who had promised many times to fix their roads when he was a Minister of Labour.
The petitioner's side had in their evidence claimed that the road construction done by Lavulavu was his own initiative, which he used for his election campaign from September to November, 2014.
The trial was adjourned on 9 December in order for the Chief Justice to return to Nuku'alofa for other commitments.