By Tupou Vaipulu Jr.

Scammers who targeted a Tongan Public Enterprise have succeeded in taking $270,000 panga, Tonga's Minister of Public Enterprises, Hon. Piveni Piukala has revealed.

It appears that when Tonga Power Limited paid a legitimate bill to an overseas supplier, the scammers had provided their own banking details for the transfer and diverted the funds away from the intended recipient.

“It was a scam, [Tonga Power] received an email saying, ‘this is the new email of the organisation’, and the other person [Tonga Power] just got up and transferred [the money],” Hon. Piukala told a media briefing on Friday, 25 July 2025.

He later told Matangi Tonga, “According to the report I got from Tonga Power, the amount that was transferred was $270,000 pa’anga.”

According to that same report, Hon. Piukala said the money was intended to be used to purchase equipment and parts for the wind turbines in Hahake, Tongatapu.

He explained that the transaction went unnoticed until the legitimate supplier told Tonga Power Ltd, that they had not received their payment.

“The issue wasn’t discovered until the organisation reached out and said that they haven’t received the money.”

The Minister said Tonga Power Ltd. was currently working on resolving the issue and that he was waiting for their next report.

Unconfirmed

Tonga Power Ltd. is a state-owned enterprise.

Meanwhile, Matangi Tonga Online reached out to Tonga Power Limited this week to confirm the information released by the Minister of Public Enterprises, but up until the close of business today, the management was unavailable to comment on the issue.