‘Opeti Fekau pleaded guilty to a total of five charges, including an armed robbery outside the Westpac Bank of Tonga commercial branch on May 26, when he appeared before Chief Justice Anthony Ford in the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court on Thursday, September 3.

He was charged with abetment to armed robbery in relation to stealing a Chinese delivery truck on March 20 in Fasi, and a second and third count of possessing an illegal firearm and ammunition on May 26 in Kolofo'ou. He also admitted his involvement in conspiring with four other men to commit an armed robbery in Hofoa on May 25.

Fekau pleaded guilty to the fifth count of armed robbery, when he stole $3,000 pa'anga and a mobile phone while armed with a .12 shotgun outside the Westpac Bank's branch at the Si'i Kae Ola shopping centre in Nuku'alofa on May 26.

A victim Sitiveni Lei, an employee of the Discovery Corporation, it is alleged was shot by another accused Samuela 'Alatini. During the robbery incident he came out to assist his female co-worker who first got attacked by the robbers when she got out of their vehicle to go and deposit the money in the bank.

Four others

Four other accused men, Pita Lātū, Lei'ataua Foliaki, Samuela 'Alatini and Tevita 'Alatini are similarly charged in relation to the same armed robbery cases but they have pleaded not guilty.

Samuela 'Alatini, the alleged shooter in the Si'i Kae Ola robbery, is also charged with causing grievous bodily harm when he shot Sitiveni Lei.

Fekau who is in police custody will be sentenced on October 10, while the four men also in custody appear on September 22 for the start of their hearing.

The maximum sentence for an accused guilty of armed robbery is imprisonment of not more than 20 years, and to be guilty of possessing illegal firearms and ammunition can attract a sentence of imprisonment of not more than 10 years.

Counsel Petunia Tupou represented the accused and the Crown Prosecutor was Semisi Lutui.

Meanwhile, on Friday, September 5, an 18 year prison sentence was handed down to a man found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm when he shot a woman shopkeeper at Tofoa last October in another attempted armed robbery.