A ten years prison sentence was imposed on a 31-year-old man from Fatai in Tongatapu for abetment to armed robbery committed at the Tu'imatamoana Wharf in May 2010 but his co-offender is still on the run.

'Emile Longani, a husband and father, appeared before Justice Robert Shuster for sentencing on June 8 at the Supreme Court in Nuku'alofa, after initially pleading guilty to one charge.

Representing himself in court, the convicted man who had previous offences, pleaded that he was the breadwinner for his wife and four children. He told the court he was truly remorseful for what he did and apologized.

Protect the public

Justice Shuster told the court that he would be failing in his duty if he did not send this convicted abettor to prison. “The public deserves to be protected,” he said.

This was a planned and pre-mediated robbery and attracted 15 years imprisonment even if he was a first time offender.

But due to his guilty plea, Justice Shuster reduced the sentence to 10 years imprisonment starting immediately but backdated to March 4, 2011 when the offender was remanded in custody.

Longani had a co-accused named Felise Hufanga who was charged with one count of armed robbery and one count of possession of ammunition without a license. Hufange had pleaded not guilty to both counts but is currently on the run from an arrest warrant that has been issued.

Lured

The court was told that on the early morning hours on May 29, 2010 Longani called the complainant a Chinese man named Liu Ruoyiyou and told him about sea cucumbers and its cost.

The complainant agreed to meet him at Tu'imatamoana wharf at around 6am and drove there in a truck accompanied by another Chinese man and parked at the Billfish parking lot.

A short while later Longani and Hufanga drove into the parking lot and parked beside the complainant's truck. Hufanga then got off with a .22 bolt-action rifle and headed for the complainant's door and pointed the gun at him.

He demanded where the money was and saw it was in the back seat of the truck. He then hit the complainant's head with the butt of the rifle and while he slumped in the chair Longani then grabbed the bundle of cash amounting to $15,000 and fled the scene.

The court was told Hufanga gave Longani $2,000 and he kept the rest.