Two men arrested for passport forgery [1]
Monday, March 13, 2017 - 18:24
Two men have and been arrested and charged in relation to forgery over Tongan passport applications.
On Friday March 10, a Tonga Police taskforce arrested and charged a 44 year-old Tongan man from Kolofo’ou with forgery and false declaration.
A 54 year-old man from Tofoa was arrested and charged with forgery and knowingly dealing with forged documents.
Both accused appeared at the Fasi Magistrate's Court on Monday March 13 and are to re-appear on Monday, March 20.
The head of the passport taskforce, Deputy Police Commissioner ‘Unga Fa’aoa said they are taking zero tolerance approach to reports of passport fraud and putting accused persons before the courts.
The passport taskforce is working closely with the Ministry of Justice, Tonga Immigration, National Identity Cards Office and the Ministry of Health in combating crimes of identity fraud.
These arrests brings the total to 23 persons arrested since the start of the passport investigations on August 25, 2015.
Meanwhile, 12 convictions have been made by the courts to date.