Media activist, 'Alani Taione appeared in the Nuku'alofa Police Magistrate's Court this morning on the charge of distributing the newspaper Taimi 'o Tonga without a distributing license, when he arrived at the Fua'amotu airport from New Zealand on February 16.

Siosifa Tu'utafaiva, the legal counsel for Taione requested a trial by jury for his client and Police Magistrate Samiu Palu set the date for a hearing at the Supreme Court for May 5.

Taione, a New Zealand passport holder, was asked to submit his passport, and was told that he is not allowed to leave the island of Tongatapu. Bail was set at $1000.

Later, Taione said that he may face further charges, because when he arrived in Tonga from New Zealand on March 23 for the first hearing, he brought with him five Taimi 'o Tonga newspapers. He gave away two at the airport, and three were taken by the Deputy Police Commander Taniela Faletau, who later told him that the police would lay charge against him.

Taione said he felt that his rights ...“have been raped by Tonga's restrictive media laws...”.