'Ofila Havea (44) of Popua, was ordered to appear in the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court for trial relating to the damage of the Ministry of Finance office during the Nuku'alofa riots of November 16, 2006.

Police Magistrate Latu Mohenoa ruled there was a case to be heard and submitted it to the Supreme Court for a trial date to be set, after hearing evidence presented during a preliminary inquiry hearing at the Nuku'alofa Magistrate's Court today.

Havea, who is a father of eight and earns a living from farming and fishing, was charged with four counts. He is firstly charged for damaging the property of the Ministry of Finance by participating in a rioting meeting, where he is accused of throwing a coconut at the Finance office window and smashing it.

The second charge was for the damage of the Ministry of Finance vehicles when he together with others overturned a car causing damage to it. The third charge was a housebreaking charge, followed lastly by the theft of four hammers stolen from the Molisi Tonga Supermarket.

Police witness

Police Prosecutor Mema Latu called his first witness Police Inspector Titako Kaufusi to give evidence.

Inspector Titako told the court that on November 16, 2006 he was in charge of a special team who were assigned to keep a look out on the meeting held at Pangai Si'i.

He said that about 1pm ihe saw a new tent was putting up a banner opposing the meeting at Pangai Si'i and he then saw a scuffle-taking place between some of the people at the meeting in Pangai and the people at the new tent.

"The police ran over and broke up the fight, and I saw the accused 'Ofila Havea lying on Taufa'ahau Road in the midst of the scuffle so I told him to get up and return to the meeting at Pangai Si'i," he said.

inspector Titako added that at about 3-4pm in the afternoon, they saw a crowd of people leaving the Pangai Si'i area and smashing the Prime Minister's Office. The police ran over there and asked the crowd to return to the park, and when they did return to the park the crowd continued to trash the Finance office and the vehicles in the parking area, as well as smashing the Parliament office and the Nuku'alofa Courts.

The crowd of rioters then left for Molisi Tonga Supermarket, and he and a part of the special team remained back to guard the area around the courts, parliament and the finance office while another part of their team followed the rioters, but he could not identify the accused to have taken part in this destruction.

Smashed windows

The second witness Siaosi 'Enosi, the Principal Assistant Secretary, at the Ministry of Finance confirmed the damage to their office.

He told the court that on November 16, 2006 at around 3pm he was directed by the Secretary of Finance to shut down the office because the office was being damaged by rioters.

He said that about 3:30pm a total of 16 windows at the office were smashed including the entrance door to the Minister of Finance's office, their air conditioners, water supply, along with three vehicles smashed and two overturned on the Lelue Road beside the Finance office.

According to an estimation given by Tevita Puloka's Construction and Design Company the total damage to the Ministry of Finance properties inflicted by rioters on this particular day accumulated to $185,140 pa'anga, he added.

Threw a coconut

Police Inspector Tevita Faeamani, the third witness, read out the record of interview of the accused that was conducted on December 5, 2006, in which the accused said that on November 16, 2006 he participated in the meeting at Pangai Si'i because he supported the need for reform and for the people to elect their own leaders. He together with the people were waiting at Pangai Si'i for the Government to give their response to their submission for reform.

He said that he was part of the crowd that left for the Prime Minister's Office but he did not take part in the smashing, but it was not until they returned back to the park that he confessed to joining in the smashing of the Finance office where he threw a coconut at the office windows, and he also took part in overturning the two vehicles belonging to the Finance office.

He also admitted going to the smashed Molisi Tonga Supermarket and taking four hammers before running out.

When the police who took the statement asked the accused why did he did this, he answered that he was angry with Government for not accepting their need for political reform.