Results for jury trial

A jury of seven has found former Prime Minister Lord Tu‘ivakano guilty on three charges that include making a false statement for the purpose of obtaining a passport and perjury, at the end of a 21-days trial at the Supreme Court. The accused will be sentenced next month.

Lord Tu’ivakano has denied offences made against him relating to the issuance of Tongan passports to Chinese nationals, when he gave evidence as the first witness for defense, on March 3.

The jury trial against Lord Tu'ivakano on offences relating to the issuance of Tongan passports continues with revelations that legal advice from the then Acting Attorney General against the issuance of Tongan passports to Chinese applicants was ignored. The court was told this was despite real concerns of criminal activity.

Lord Tu’ivakano has pleaded not guilty to 10 charges, five of which are for acceptance of a bribe by a government servant, at the start of his jury trial, at the Supreme Court today, February 11. By Linny Folau.

A jury trial against Viliami Mangisi (59)charged in relation to the seizure of 1.9 kilograms of methamphetamine at Fua‘amotu International Airport in 2018, began at the Supreme Court today.

‘Emilio To’a has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Siaosi ‘Okusitino Tupa, who died after being stabbed multiple times with a knife during a drunken brawl at Fangaloto in March, 2018.

Sitiveni ‘Esi Muli (17) today changed his plea to guilty in regards to two alternative counts of manslaughter in relation to the death of a Chinese couple, Mr Feng Sheng Pei and Mrs Su Jie Wen, who were found with multiple stab wounds at a vegetable plantation on February 25, last year. But the Crown Prosecutor was not satisfied and is continuing with the murder charges.

A prisoner told the jury-trial for the civilian accused Semisi Kalisitiane Manu in the death of Kali Fungavaka, he saw Manu punch the victim inside cell 7 causing him to fall banging his head hard on the floor. While, another prisoner alleged to have witnessed beforehand the police beating up Kali “like treating an animal”.

The first sitting of Tonga’s Court of Appeal which ended on Wednesday, April 9, in Nuku'alofa delivered judgments, that included reducing a 16-years sentence imposed on a man who sharpened his knife and stabbed his sleeping wife 23 times. The court replaced it with 10-years imprisonment with the final two-years suspended.