Pangi Puloka 33 appeared in the Nuku‘alofa Magistrate's Court today charged with the importation of two kilograms of marijuana to Tonga from Fiji last month.

The Police Prosecutor claimed that Pangi arrived on an Air Pacific flight from Fiji on February 4, but got nervous when he realised that all passengers on his flight were being given a thorough search and so he abandoned a suitcase with the marijuana in it on the inward carousel at Tonga's Fua‘amotu International Airport .

Pangi first appeared in court last week and pleaded not guilty to the two counts of importation and possession of marijuana.

Siosifa Tu‘utafaiva, the counsel for the defendant submitted an application that there was no case to answer to in court.

Police Magistrate Peau Pifeleti today thought otherwise and replied that there was a case to answer and directed for the case to be heard in the Nuku‘alofa Supreme Court on April 24.

The Magistrate said that the Police Prosecutor Viliami Tulua had provided enough evidence to prove that the defendant may have committed the crime.

The defendant was indeed a passenger on the Air Pacific flight that departed Fiji for Tonga on February 4, 2006 and the airline tag that was stuck on the abandoned suitcase, although it was addressed to the Friendly Islands Bookshop in Nuku...’alofa, sent from a Mary Robinson of Fiji, was similar to the tag attached on the other luggage claimed by Pangi.

Passengers on this particular flight to Tonga from Fiji were given a thorough check over on their arrival, as part of a Border Security exercise by Tongan Customs Officers.

The seizure of the drugs was hailed by Lee Degan, the head of the Tongan Customs as a great success to their Border Security Operation, which was launched just two weeks before the abandoned suitcase of marijuana was discovered at the airport.