Shoreline lost phone cards with a face value of about $4-5 million pa'anga during the riots of November 16, a witness told the Nuku'alofa Magistrate's Court yesterday during a hearing of a man accused of stealing about seven of the cards.

Police Magistrate Salesi Mafi on March 27 ordered Tevita Talia'uli (23) to appear at the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court on a date to be set for trial on charges relating to crimes committed during the riots of November 16.

Talia'uli has been charged with the theft of phone cards from the Shoreline office, as well as stealing goods from a Chinese shop.

Talia'uli, who was born in Vava'u but is now residing in Nuku'alofa, was charged with four counts, the first for the theft of goods including a plastic bucket that contained various cans of corned beef and six cracker packets amounting to $100 stolen from a Chinese shop that was located next to the former ANZ Bank at the intersection of Hala Salote and Hala Lelue.

Talia'uli was also charged with stealing about seven phone cards from the Shoreline main office, and knowingly receiving stolen goods, one television screen and a box of toothpaste. He was also charged with participating in a meeting at Pangai Si'i that resulted in a riot that caused damage and destruction to key buildings such as the Prime Minister's office, Shoreline Power, the Treasury and others.

Prosecution

Police Prosecutor Mema Latu told the court that the prosecution will present their case in two parts, the first part to provide evidence to prove that there was a meeting held on November 16, which resulted in violent rioting events, and secondly they will call witnesses to give evidence on the fact that the Chinese shop on Lelue Road was looted and the phone cards were stolen from the Shoreline office on that particular day.

Chief Inspector Tupou 'Otutaha, the first witness, told the court that on November 16, 2006, at 10 am they were stationed at the Parliament's office area opposite Pangai Si'i and a meeting had already started led by some of the People's Representatives in their quest for political reform. The meeting began peacefully in the morning but at about 2-3pm in the afternoon the majority of the gathering of about 400 and more people left the park for the Prime Minister's Office and started cursing at the Prime Minister demanding reform, as well as smashing office windows by throwing rocks and wood at them.

The police who were stationed in Nuku'alofa that day all came out to try and stop this first act of destruction but they were not able to because there were too many people. At the time Semisi Tapueluelu came and shouted for all the people to return to the park because they had got what they wanted. "But as they came back some started smashing the Treasury and even began to light it up but luckily we were able to put the fire out with fire extinguishers. Rioters continued and smashed government vehicles in the building's parking area as well as overturning some of the cars parked on the road and they then continued to trash the Parliament's office and the Nuku'alofa courts before continuing their damage to the Molisi Supermarket then to the Pacifc Royale Hotel and Shoreline."

Insp. 'Otutaha said that destruction continued down to central Nuku'alofa where rioters trashed every Chinese shop, the Leiola Duty Free Shop, the Nuku'alofa Club and others. He added that the meeting at Pangai Si'i was still held and it was not until 6pm that the gathering dispersed from the park, and he knew this for sure because he said this was around the time that the Chinese Rainbow Shop and the ANZ Bank started going up in smoke.

Phonecards stolen

The second witness called was 'Alisi Tu'inukuafe an administration supervisor at the Shoreline Office. She told the court that prior to November 16, 2006 they were selling $5, $10, $20, $30, $50 and $75 pa'anga phone cards at their Shoreline main office located along the Taufa'ahau Road.

But on this particular day of November 16, 2006 she confirmed that these cards were taken from their office without their permission and she estimated that the worth of the phone cards stolen that particular day was around $4 to $5 million pa'anga.

Smashed windows

The court then continued to hear third witness Police Inspector Fielea Faeamani who read Tevita's record of interview, in which it clearly recorded his confession to the crimes committed.

In the record of interview, the accused who wrote his own answers when interrogated by the police admitted that he had thrown a rock and smashed the Shoreline office windows and the phone cards that he took were thrown out from the office by other rioters, who were inside trashing the office. He said that he took these stolen cards and left the area but later gave them to some girls who asked for it at the Queen Salote Memorial Hall.

"I returned home that evening but later returned that night to town because I heard that free goods were being given out, and I came and stood outside a Chinese shop next to the ANZ Bank, and this guy I knew gave me a plastic bucket full of stuff from corned beef and crackers and I took them home, and I also accepted the stolen goods of one TV screen and the box of toothpaste, and most of them have been confiscated by the police and soldiers who searched my house," said Tevita.

The accused also concluded in the police interview that he was very remorseful to have committed these crimes, and he is still respected the Government of Tonga.