Ha'apai PR's son to face trial for damage to hotel [1]
Wednesday, April 4, 2007 - 18:56. Updated on Monday, July 20, 2015 - 12:20.
Police Magistrate Latu Mohenoa today ordered 'Etuate Uata (36) to appear for trial in the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court on a date to be set.
'Etuate, a son of the Ha'apai People's Representative, 'Uliti Uata, has been charged with damaging property, namely the Pacific Royale Hotel on November 16, 2006.
During the Preliminary Hearing Police Prosecutor Mema Latu called three witnesses. The first witness Ane Sekona was a supervisor at the Pacific Royale Hotel on the day of the riot. Ane confirmed that the hotel was trashed on November 16 by rioters, but she could not identify anyone in particular because she said there were so many people that day who were throwing things and smashing the windows of the hotel, and some rioters surged into the hotel and started smashing everything in sight.
The second witness, 'Akanesi Manakofua, told the court that as she was watching the destruction of the hotel and she identified two people and one of them was the accused 'Etuate Uata whom she knew clearly to be 'Uliti Uata's son. 'Akanesi said that she saw 'Etuate throw a rock at the hotel about three times and she also identified the accused in court.
The third witness, Police Inspector Tupou 'Otutaha, told the court that on November 16, 2006, they were stationed at the Parliament's Office area opposite Pangai Si'i and a meeting had already started at about 2-3 pm in the afternoon when about 500 people left the park for the Prime Minister's Office and started cursing the Prime Minister demanding reform, as well as smashing the office windows by throwing rocks and wood at them.
"We all ran from the Parliament area where we were stationed and tried to stop the destruction but we 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 up one of the office room's but luckily we were able to put the fire out with fire extinguishers," he said.
Rioters continued on 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 office before continuing the damage to the Molisi Supermarket.
"Then someone shouted to continue to the Pacific Royale Hotel, and when I got there the windows were all smashed, and the rioters then continued to the Shoreline Office."
Inspector 'Otutaha said that when he got to the Tonga Water Board he saw smoke and he knew that Shoreline was on fire, and when he actually got to Shoreline everything was trashed and the office was already burning. The destruction then continued down to central Nuku'alofa where rioters trashed premises including the Nuku'alofa Club where looters stole mostly the alcohol bottles and beer cans where they returned to Pangai Si'i and started drinking, and at this time the meeting was still being held, he added.
In the afternoon the counsel for the defence Clive Edwards also called witnesses to give evidence on their behalf.
But at the end of the day, Police Prosecutor Latu Mohenoa ruled that there was a case to be heard, and submitted the case to the Supreme Court for trial.