Talia'uli Fatongiatau (35) was sentenced today to nine-months imprisonment for offering $235 bribe to a Tonga Police officer and possession of 0.89g of methamphatamine.

He was sentenced on February 22, after he pleaded guilty when re-arrainged at the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court. 

The defendant is currently serving imprisonment for previous drug offences.

In 2014, he was convicted of common assault for which he received a $50 fine.

On August 28, 2020 in proceedings (CR 138 of 2019) former Justice Cato sentenced him for possession of 0.34g of methamphetamine and 159g of cannabis to two-years and six-months imprisonment, backdated to the date of his remand in custody.

The final 12-months of this sentence was suspended on conditions.

Nightclub security guard

In another case (CR 216/20) Acting Justice Langi on December 8, 2020 sentenced him again for possession of methamphetamine and interfering with evidence to a head sentence of one-year and nine-months imprisonment.

This was to be served consecutive to the current one he is serving in (CR 138 of 2019).

The Court heard prior to his imprisonment, the defendant was working as a security guard at a nightclub for about five-years. He ceased that work in 2018 and has not been employed since.

While, working as a security guard at the nightclub, he started his involvement with illicit drugs. He also candidly admitted that he started selling drugs to make money.

The circumstances of the case, the defendant's repeated drug related convictions and the fact that the instant offending was committed while he was on bail for the last proceeding weigh against suspending any part of the sentence.

It was then ordered that the final six-months of the sentence in this case be served consecutively, that is following the end of the sentence to be served for (CR 216/20).

"The net result is that, again, subject to any discount for early release by the Commissioner of Prisons, the defendant will be imprisoned until June 2023."

The Court also directed that he receive drug awareness and life skills counseling provided by the Salvation Army during his incarceration in prison. 

The illicit drug was then ordered to be destroyed and 
the cash seized from his arrest be forfeited to the Crown.