Samiu Fifita (39) was today sentenced at the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court to nine-months imprisonment, for possession of 0.16 gram of methamphetamine.

Hon. Justice Niu fully suspended his sentence due to his clean record, after he pleaded guilty.

On June 23, last year Police received information that the accused was supplying or selling drugs at Kahoua from a red truck. Police met him at Sia'atoutai and stopped his truck.

A police trained dog sniffed something inside the storage compartment of his truck and found $760.20 cash inside.

The accused told police that his wife  had given him that money to buy pig feed for his piggery. 

The dog then sniffed something in a child's shoe found by the handbrake. Police found $2.00 and one pack of methamphetamine in it. The accused told police, he did not know whose pack it was but that the little shoe was his son's.

Two scales were also found under the driver's seat.

The substance was later weighed and confirmed to be methamphetamine. 


The accused told the probation officer that he did not know about the drug being put in the vehicle by one of the workers he would take to work in the tax allotment. He had pleaded guilty 
because he drove the vehicle when the drug was found in in it.

“It is a very serious allegation that he was in possession of this methamphetamine for the purpose of supply to the users. The Crown said that was what you were doing, that you were selling meth to persons at the Kahoua area. 

“However, you were not, and you are not, charged with supplying of illicit drug. You were charged with, and pleaded guilty to possessing this 0.16 gram of methamphetamine,” said the judge.

"I cannot, and should not even begin to consider that you had that pack for supply or sale to others, because you are not guilty of such an offence."

The judge then suspended his sentence for three-years, due to the accused having no criminal conviction. This is on conditions that he attends the Salvation Army course on drugs and alcohol and must carry out 50-hours of community work, among other requirements.

The accused was advised to make use of the full suspension and not re-offend.

"I urge you to find a job. You have a wife and two children to feed and clothe and educate. Find a job and make an honest living for yourself and your family."

The illicit drug was then ordered to be destroyed.