Cannabis growers jailed in Vava'u [1]
Tuesday, October 20, 2020 - 16:22. Updated on Tuesday, October 20, 2020 - 16:29.
Seven men, including four teenagers, have been jailed for charges that included jointly cultivating 2665 cannabis plants (99.6 kgs) at a tax allotment in Holonga, Vava’u.
Tonga Wolfgramm (40), Sulitomu’a Muna (14), Cullen Pongi (17), Heuati Toke (15), Misinale Lavemai (18), ‘Amini Topui (24) and Afei Tau’akitangata Tatafu (20) all from Mataika, pleaded guilty on October 5, before Lord Chief Justice Whitten at the Supreme Court in Neiafu.
They were sentenced on October 16.
In addition, the first accused, Tonga Wolfgramm, was also charged with possession of 22.57 grams of cannabis leaves and seeds and possession of 26 rounds of .22 ammunition, without a license.
While, Sulitomu’a is charged with possessing a .22 rifle without a license.
Sentence
Tonga was sentenced to four-years and six-months imprisonment. The final 18-months of the head sentence was suspended for two-years upon release, on conditions.
Sulitomu'a was sentenced to three-years imprisonment. The final two-years of the head sentence was suspended for two years.
Similarly, Cullen and Heuati were each sentenced to three-years imprisonment, with the final two-years suspended for two-years.
Misinale and ‘Amini were sentenced to three-years imprisonment each. The final 18-months of their sentences was suspended, for two-years.
Lastly, Afei was sentenced to three-years six-months imprisonment, with the final 15-months suspended for two-years.
The Chief Justice directed that, during imprisonment to the greatest extent practicable, Sulitomu'a, Cullen and Heuati are to be kept separate from other adult prisoners.
The cannabis was ordered to be destroyed.
Organised operation
The Court heard in September 2018, police received information that there was cannabis being grown at a tax allotment at Holonga amongst a kava plantation grown by the defendants as a church group of growers.
After obtaining a search warrant, police attended the tax allotment.
There, they found Sulitomu’a, who upon seeing the police, fled carrying a .22 rifle. He ran across the adjoining allotments and dropped the rifle in a bush area next to the residence of Luti Wolfgramm and went inside the residence.
Police then brought Tonga to the tax allotment at Holonga where they read him the search warrant and then conducted their search.
The tax allotment was divided into blocks for the individual members of the church group. The defendants were assigned blocks three to 10. Across those plots, police found a total of 2,665 cannabis plants weighing 99.65 kilograms.
The Chief Justice accepted that the operation was masterminded by Tonga.
He is and was much older than the other young defendants he recruited to carry out the work of cultivating, maintaining and guarding the large number of plants over the several blocks of land used which were supposed to be for a church growing group.
Further, the operation was organised. Tonga provided the seedlings and other materials necessary for the other defendants to plant and tend the crop. A makeshift camp was established to house some of the younger fendants who were also responsible for guarding the plants, he said.
In addition, he brought food to the camp on a regular basis. He also equipped the guards with a firearm and ammunition.
"From that I infer that he was prepared to order any necessary violence with the firearm, had other cannabis thieves threatened the crop."
The Chief Justice said the courts must play an important role in ensuring that sentences imposed for involvement with illicit drugs are appropriate to serve the objectives of denunciation and punishment as well as specific and general deterrence.
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