Results for Lord Chief Justice Whitten

‘Amusia Mateni (42) was sentenced today to 3 years and six months imprisonment for possession of 8.08 grams of methamphetamine and interfering with evidence that was seized during an altercation with a police officer on a road in Ngele'ia. The judge noted that in the accused’s current state of involvement with methamphetamines with its resultant delusional dishonesty ...“his wife and children may be better off without him.”

Malia Selupe (32) was sentenced today to three-years imprisonment for obtaining by false pretences around $59,950 pa’anga from customers, at her car dealer company in Longolongo.

Tonga Soane (57) was sentenced to 16-months imprisonment after being convicted of uttering counterfeit currency, which amounted to $500 pa’anga at different venues in December 2019. The offending was driven entirely by greed.

‘Inivenesi Helu (39) is serving one-year imprisonment for causing grievous bodily harm to a 17-year-old teenager by using a machete during an altercation, in Nuku'alofa.

Tonga Soane was found guilty of three counts of uttering counterfeit currency at the Nuku’alofa Supreme Court. He will be sentenced on April 1. The $50 and $100 were obviously fake “the notes represented a patently amateurish attempt,” said the judge.

Talia'uli Fatongiatau (35) was sentenced today to nine-months imprisonment for offering $235 bribe to a Tonga Police officer and possession of 0.89g of methamphatamine. He is currently serving time in Hu'atolitoli Prison.

Foketi Tonga Fate was acquitted of possessing 41.51 grams of cannabis by the Lord Chief Justice, who said the Crown failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt in the evidence of the charge against the accused.

Sione Tui’one Pulotu (47) will continue serving his prison term for serious indecent assaults committed on a woman in Tongatapu, after his application to appeal against sentence was refused by the Supreme Court in Nuku'alofa.

Feinga ki he Lotu Fanguna who was convicted of importing a .22 rifle without a licence, which he ordered from the United States was fined $500 pa’anga, at the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court. He had applied for a licence which was issued to him, after he was arrested on this offence.