Four Tongan Lords charged in pending cases [1]
Friday, June 1, 2012 - 21:23. Updated on Monday, September 9, 2013 - 18:40.
Four Tongan Lords, including the current Speaker of Parliament, a former Speaker of Parliament, a current Noble's Representative to Parliament and a Law Lord each have pending court cases in Tonga's courts, after being charged with offences ranging from illicit drugs to illegal possession of firearms, ammunitions, and perjury.
The current Speaker of Parliament, Lord Lasike, has pleaded not guilty to one count of illegal possession of two .22 ammunitions, and his trial is scheduled for on July 4-6, at the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court.
On January 27, Lord Lasike represented by William Edwards pleaded not guilty to the one count and elected to be tried by a jury.
Drugs case
A former Speaker of the House, Lord Tu'ilakepa, is charged with numerous counts of conspiracy to the importation of an illicit drug into Tonga in addition to illegal possession of firearms and ammunition charges.
His case was last set to be called in February at the Nuku'alofa Magistrate's Court, but a trial date has not been set, after continuous adjournments.
Lord Tu'ilakepa who was represented by Mana Kaufusi, was charged in December 2010 following a transnational police investigation into illicit drugs conducted in Tonga and Australia.
Firearm
Lord Tu'iha'ateiho, a current Ha'apai Noble's Representative to the Tonga Parliament, is set to appear at the Nuku'alofa Magistrate's Court, on June 11.
He is charged with one count of illegal possession of a firearm, and his case will be called before Magistrate Salesi Mafi to set a date for a Preliminary Inquiry.
The one charge is related to an automatic pistol found by police in the possession of an escaped prisoner, who claimed that he stole the firearm from the noble's home in Longolongo.
He is represented by Sifa Tu'utafaiva, a People's Representative to the Tonga Parliament and Chairman of the Whole House Committee.
Perjury
Meanwhile, a perjury case against Lord Dalgety, otherwise known as Ramsay Robertson Dalgety, is also pending at the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court.
A pre-trial conference was held this week before Hon Justice Charles Cato.
The Solicitor General 'Aminiasi Kefu said this afternoon, that they had legal issues to deal with before trial, and a timetable requiring counsels to file written submissions to the court was set.
He said defense counsel Kahu Afeaki was to file his legal submission by July 6, and the Crown would file theirs on August 6.
A hearing of these legal submissions would be made orally in open court on September 6, said 'Aminiasi.
Lord Dalgety was charged with perjury relating to a statement he made at the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the sinking of the MV Princess Ashika ferry, in January 2010.