Katieli Mahe (39) and ‘Etimoni Toumolupe (39) will serve 18 months in prison each for the theft of two rolls of copper and aluminium cables and receiving stolen property from their former employer, Tonga Power Ltd. Justice Tupou delivered the sentences on 18 March in the Supreme Court, Nuku’alofa. Mahe admitted to two counts of theft, while Toumolupe admitted to two counts of receiving stolen property.
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Thursday 20 March 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga

Wednesday 12 April 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A 39-year-old man has been charged with the murder of a 44-year-old man in Lapaha on eastern Tongatapu earlier this month.

Thursday 20 October 2022
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A prolific offender, ‘Okusitino Langi (49), who is serving a lengthy prison term for drug offences, received additional time for similar offending in prison, totalling nine-years imprisonment, after being sentenced on 14 October. The Lord Chief Justice said the circumstances of this offending were troubling. “For the defendant to have been able to possess and sell drugs in prison suggests real operational deficiencies in security within the prison.”

Thursday 20 October 2022
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Repeat offender Hateni Kaufusi (35) was sentenced to 34-months imprisonment for serious housebreaking and theft of tool shed items estimated at $11,840. His co-accused Kulikefu Vanisi (54) got a suspended sentence for abetment.

Thursday 8 September 2022
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Jailed offender Siosaia Hungalu (27) was sentenced to three-years imprisonment for the housebreaking and theft of Tongan mats, valued at around $13,900 pa'anga, from a residence in Kolofo’ou. He is serving time for other offences.

Thursday 24 March 2022
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Over 300 people, mainly on Tongatapu, have been arrested and charged for breaching curfews, not wearing masks or not social distancing, as required under the regulations under the Tonga Emergency Management Act since February 2. Tonga Police said they are assisted by town and district officers and community patrols to report those who breach the lockdown restrictions in villages.

Sunday 13 February 2022
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Seventy-eight people have been charged by Tonga Police for breaching the current lock down restrictions in Tongatapu and Vava'u, which have been enforced since Feb. 4 to minimize and prevent the further spread of COVID-19 in the community.

Wednesday 15 December 2021
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Christchurch, New Zealand
Manu Hausia (28) has pleaded guilty to four charges, including attempted murder at the High Court in Christchurch. He is remanded in custody to be sentenced in February 2022. Hausia, in New Zealand on an interim visitor visa, admitted his brutal assault on a solo mum, committed on September 2.

Wednesday 6 October 2021
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Three Tongan nationals who are in Australia on working visas will appear in court on Wednesday in New South Wales mid-north coast, accused of sexually assaulting two teenage girls at a park over the weekend.

Tuesday 14 September 2021
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Faka‘anaua ‘Akau (22) was today sentenced to additional 30-months imprisonment at Hu'atolitoli Prison for escaping lawful custody, serious housebreaking and theft committed in 'Eua. He is currently in prison for previous offences.

Monday 13 September 2021
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A 32 year old man was shot in the arm by the Police, after he allegedly used a .22 handgun to point and shoot at Police, during the raid of a suspect's home at Hala'ovave, Tongatapu, yesterday, September 12.

Tuesday 7 September 2021
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A man who stole over $20,000 worth of goods from his employer in Nuku'alofa, was sentenced to three-years six-months imprisonment for serious housebreaking and theft. However, because he was a young first offender and had pleaded guilty, the judge showed leniency and suspended the sentence for three years.

Monday 6 September 2021
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A couple were found guilty on joint counts of possessing 3.82 grams of methamphetamine and 22.6 grams of cannabis, seized in a police raid at a residence selling illicit drugs in Sopu, Nuku'alofa.

Monday 6 September 2021
Auckland, New Zealand
New York Times reporting: A man who wounded seven people in a West Auckland supermarket and was shot dead by police had been under surveillance for months. The New Zealand government had been trying to expedite counterterrorism legislation in Parliament to give law enforcement officials a legal way to take him back into custody.
Friday 8 January 2021
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Police arrested 230 people during ‘Operation Finau’ over the Christmas and New Year holidays from 21 December 2020 to 4 January 2021. The Police Drug Enforcement Taskforce also arrested 18 people and seized cannabis and methamphetamine from 16-30 December 2020.

Friday 9 October 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A 33-year-old man was arrested with 11 packs of methamphetamine (4.02 grams) on Vuna Road at Ma’ufanga on Wednesday, 7 October.

Sunday 17 November 2019
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Salt Lake City, Utah
A Salt Lake City jury have convicted a female migrant from Tonga, Alavina Florreich (70), of childhood sex abuse against Avrohom Zippel, now a 28-year-old man. Despite there being no evidence of the alleged abuse, the jury were compelled to find Alavina guilty on all counts. She is scheduled to be sentenced early next year and could face life imprisonment, although she plans to appeal.

Wednesday 24 April 2019
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga Police have seized a large amount of a substance believed to be methamphetamine imported at Queen Salote Wharf in Nuku'alofa.

Friday 14 September 2018
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San Mateo, California
Police in California are urging anyone who may have been victimized by a 62-year-old man Latu Kamisese Lavaki (originally from Tonga) to contact law enforcement. The San Mateo County Sherriff’s Office, in the US, released a media statement on Wednesday, calling Lavaki a “prolific sexual predator”.

Wednesday 22 August 2018
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New South Wales, Australia
A former female prison guard in Australia, Amy Mershell Connors (34), appeared in a New South Wales court on Monday 20 August, where she entered a no plea against charges alleging that she engaged in a 12-month-long sexual affair with a Tongan prisoner Sione Penisini.
