Speaker's arraignment on ammunition charge adjourned to January 27 [1]
Friday, January 20, 2012 - 18:53. Updated on Monday, September 9, 2013 - 18:40.
Lord Lasike, the Speaker of the Tonga Parliament, turned-up today at the Supreme Court for arraignment on one count of unlawful possession of ammunition but his case was adjourned to Friday, January 27.
The accused appeared before Justice Robert Shuster just after 9:30am, represented by William Edwards.
The Solicitor General 'Aminiasi Kefu for the Crown, told the court that the written indictment was only just filed on January 19.
Justice Shuster then adjourned the arraignment for a week to allow parties to go over the written indictment. He released Lord Lasike on bail until then.
On January 27 he is expected to enter a plea and choose whether he would want to be tried by a jury or judge alone, before a trial date is fixed.
Lord Lasike was arrested by police at the Fua'amotu International Airport when he arrived on January 19 for breach of bail. He was escorted to the Supreme Court where he admitted during a bail hearing that he breached his bail when he travelled to USA and did not return to Tonga on December 17, 2011.