In Tonga illicit drugs are deadlier than COVID-19, says Minister of Justice [1]
Sunday, October 25, 2020 - 21:45
From the House by Pesi Fonua
The Tongan Parliament passed six Bills before it closed for the week on Wednesday 21 October.
An amendment to the Illicit Drug Control Act 2003 was passed by the House in its third reading with 17-0 votes on 20 October.
It also passed five Urgent Bills, tabled by the Prime Minister, Hon. Dr Pohiva Tu’i’onetoa:
- Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. Passed 17-0.
- Magistrate's Court Act - For appeals in the Magistrate's Court to go to the Supreme Court was Passed 18-0.
- District and Town Officers Act. Passed 17-0.
- Fono Act. Passed 17-0.
- Interpretation Act. Passed 18-0.
The push to amend the Illicit Drug Control Act is an effort by government to counter the usage of an illicit drug methamphetamine, commonly known as “ice”.
The Acting Minister of Justice, Hon. Samiu Vaipulu who tabled the Illicit Drug Control Bill to the House, referred to the illicit drug as “Tonga’s Killing Virus”, not the coronavirus which has not been detected in Tonga.
The Bill empowered the Police to counter the influx of this illicit drug.
Secretive bills
Unfortunately, the media and the public can’t have access to a draft of the Bill. The little information that we have about the Bill, is what we have picked up from debate in the House.
According to Hon. Samiu Vaipulu the amendment to Tonga’s Illicit Drug Control Act is based on New Zealand’s Drug Act.
He said that under the new bill, a father who knows that his son is dealing with drugs can also be charged.
Hon. Samiu Vaipulu got a bit emotional when he told the House that the youngest Tongan who is hooked on using this drug is only 13 years old.
He said that [in the new Bill] the penalty for anybody who is captured with 28 grams of meth is a life sentence or $1 miliion pa’anga fine. He said that they were looking at death penalty by hanging “but of course that is no longer acceptable.”
On issues relating to protecting the police when they are on duty, they can shoot the tyres of the vehicle of a suspected drug dealer, and the police are also entitled to have a bullet proof vehicle.
The Police can also use an ordinary citizen as a source of information to find illicit drugs.
Under the new bill, a Police Officer can get an approval to enter a home from a Police Magistrate, and not only from a Chief Justice as it is at the moment.
Most important also is for government to have an illegal drugs testing laboratory.