The convicted Minister of Infrastructure and Tourism ‘Akosita Lavulavu (36) is on leave until the conclusion of her legal proceedings,  the Prime Minister’s Office announced this morning.

The one line statement comes two-weeks after a Supreme Court judge convicted the Minister and her husband, 'Etuate a former Cabinet Minister of obtaining over $500,000 pa'anga by false pretences, at the conclusion of their joint trial on June 4.

They will be sentenced on July 2 at the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court.

The statement from the Prime Minister, Hon. Rev. Dr. Pohiva Tu’i’onetoa said, "he has approved today the request of the Minister for Infrastructure and Tourism, Hon. ‘Akosita Lavulavu to take leave until a decision of the Court of Appeal is delivered regarding the Hon. Minister’s court case."

The announcement comes after mounting pressure in parliament and public criticism of the government, after 'Akosita returned to take her seat inthe House following her conviction. When she tried to table her Ministries' budget allocations into the House on June 10, Lord Tu’iha’angana expressed his concern that it would be damaging for the status of the House to allow her to do so, but the Prime Minister supported her. Finally, after a voiciferous debate on the matter, the Minister of Finance, tabled 'Akosita's reports to the House.

Guilt

Hon. Mr Justice Cooper found the Lavulavu couple guilty on three joint counts of obtaining the money by false pretences, which related to a number of irregularities in an audit at the ‘Unuaki ‘o Tonga Royal Institute (UTRI) on June 4.

UTRI was a private education institution, which they owned and operated. As husband and wife, they had also attended events together to promote the institute and encourage enrolment of prospective students. 

The judgement stated that these two plundered TVET grant funds for themselves in a systemic fraud.

“This was an example of the worst sort of dishonesty,” the judge said. “The conduct of these defendants would be disgraceful in anyone, but for a member of Cabinet, and a man, who used his political connections and position to facilitate these frauds, goes beyond just criminally reprehensible."

“People who should be working earnestly for constituents but use their position, connections and influence to steal from a fund for the education of children of this Kingdom and then in front of me in court, twist the evidence and lean on witnesses to try extricate themselves,” Mr Justice Cooper said in a 126 page Rulings and Judgment.

“It is a particularly egregious aspect of this case that both defendants have tried to corrupt the trial process by buying off at least one [of the] witnesses."

Call for impeachment

Meanwhile, it is reported that a call for impeachment of this Minister in the Legislative Assembly has been submitted by a Member of Parliament, Semisi Sika, the Tongatapu no. 2 People's Representative,

Parliament will not sit until after next week, said Siaosi Pohiva, Tongatapu No.1 PR, today.