Results for Lord Tu'ivakano

Lord Tu’ivakano has pleaded guilty this morning, March 4 to possession of an arm without a license. He will be sentenced on a later date.

The jury trial against Lord Tu'ivakano on offences relating to the issuance of Tongan passports continues in its fourth week, with the defence opening its case today, submitting insufficient evidence against the accused.

The trial against Lord Tu'ivakano on offences relating to Tongan passports, heard from a Crown witness, that despite lack of concrete evidence to prove naturalisation in two passport applications, the accused still directed for their issuance.

The jury trial against Lord Tu’ivakano who is charged with 10 counts, mostly passport related offences continues at the Supreme Court, in Nuku'alofa.

The trial of former Prime Minister Lord Tu‘ivakano, who is facing multiple charges in relation to passport offences, began on Monday 10 February and a jury has been selected and sworn in at the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court.

Separate trials will be held in 2020 for Lord Tu’ivakano and two other co-accused, who are charged with Tongan passport offences at the Supreme Court.

Lord Tu'ivakano will now proceed to trial on 14 counts relating to the issuance of Tongan passports. This was after, a ruling today by Lord Chief Justice Michael Whitten, who found there is sufficient evidence to commit him for trial on eight out of the nine charges that the former Prime Minister challenged (the other six charges were not challenged).

An application by Lord Tu'ivakano to strike out several of the charges against him will be heard on October 9 at the Supreme Court in Nuku'alofa.

A hearing date is expected to be set on September 6 to hear submissions in regards to the Crown's proposal to have a joint trial for Tonga’s former Prime Minister Lord Tu’ivakano and two other accused, regarding passport offences.