A date for a Preliminary Inquiry into firearm charges against Lord Tu'iha'ateiho will be held at the Nuku'alofa Magistrate's Court on February 22, the Senior Crown Counsel, Sione Sisifa confirmed today. 

The Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly was charged with unlawful possession of an automatic pistol in 2010.

The case against the noble was adjourned in October last year and has been constantly adjourned since he was first charged in relation to an incident in 2010  when an automatic pistol was found by police in possession of escaped prisoners who claimed they stole it from Lord Tu'iha'ateiho's home.

Lord Tu'iha'ateiho is the current Ha'apai Noble's Representative to Parliament.

Appeal

Meanwhile, the appeal by Lord Tu'ilakepa against a Magistrate's ruling last year to hold separate preliminary inquiries for his arms and drugs charges will be held on January 30, at the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court. 

Lord Tu'ilakepa, a current Vava'u Noble's Representative, is facing multiple charges of conspiracy to the imporation of illicit drugs and illegal possession of firearms and ammunitions.

In November last year, a Magistrate upheld a request by the Crown that the arms and ammunitions charges be heard separately from the illicit drug charges at the Nuku'alofa Magistrate's Court.

A date was fixed for the arms and ammunitions inquiry to be held on 27 November 2012 and for the drugs charges to be deferred until the Crown was ready to proceed.

However, the noble lodged his appeal to the Supreme Court against this ruling in late November which deferred the preliminary inquiry until an outcome of the appeal is determined.

The multiple charges followed a transnational police investigation into illicit drugs conducted in Tonga and Australia.