Results for crime

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.