Results for Nuku'alofa Supreme Court

Tulapa Samoa Pese (38) was sentenced to three-years imprisonment for causing serious bodily harm to a 22-year-old man with a machete at Lapaha. The judge found that the defendant carefully calculated and planned his attack. The way he carried out the attack was chilling, they ambushed the victim. “This is not only brutal; it is a cowardly behaviour to attack an unarmed person,” he said at the sentencing.

Melekiola Tu’ipulotu, who was convicted of serious bodily harm for using a machete on a 16-year-old boy, was sentenced to one-year imprisonment, fully suspended for two-years at the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court. "I hope that this decision sends a message to our people not to take up a helepelu and use violence to make their points. Self-control is a necessary duty we must all demonstrate as responsible citizens in leading our families and communities," said the Acting Chief Justice.

Two men were convicted of murder, after repeatedly beating a father and seasonal worker, Fanaafi Misifani, on the head with metal pipes, at Holonga on 5 October 2019. A third man was convicted of manslaughter. The accused all aged in their 20s, will be sentenced on 17 December 2021.

‘Ana Katokalala Siale (38) who is currently serving time in Hu'atolitoli Prison was sentenced to serve an additional six-months imprisonment for the housebreaking and theft of $10,650 pa'anga worth of Tongan handicrafts in 2020. She is currently serving two-years six-months imprisonment for two previous convictions of similar offences.

Tevita 'Osaiasi Matangi was sentenced to nine-months imprisonment for possession of 1.22 grams of methamphetamine, found with him inside a taxi at Longolongo. This was fully suspended.

‘Ana Lenilisi Tauvaka (42) received a suspended sentence in the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court today for receiving more than $10,000 pa'anga worth of stolen goods from her son, after he had stolen truckloads of goods from the warehouse of his employer, Adiloa’s Store in Nuku'alofa. The judge said the accused had no previous conviction and that her husband just died in March this year, leaving her with eight children, many of whom are still dependent on her.

Nuku'alofa’s Supreme Court has thrown out a civil claim by a former Prime Minister, Lord Tu'ivakano, who was seeking $5.75 million pa'anga in damages from the Kingdom of Tonga and others, for alleged “malicious prosecution” of him on criminal charges relating to the so-called ‘Tongan Passports Scandal’. The Lord Chief Justice M. H. Whitten, in a 78-page judgment on 28 October, set out details of how the passports investigation began and listed evidence collected by the Serious Organised Transnational Crime Unit. “I find that there was no evidence of any improper purpose for the prosecution. The only purpose discernible from the evidence was the proper invocation of the criminal law,” he stated.

Sione Moli (35) was sentenced today to three-years imprisonment for possession of 6.91 grams of methamphetamine seized by Tonga Police, after receiving information that he was selling from his home in Nukunuku. Another nine-months was added for his breach of his suspension on the previous case. A co-offender received a suspended sentence.

Siaosi Helu (36) was sentenced today to one-year imprisonment for possession 0.04 gram of methamphetamine found hidden inside his underpants, during a routine body search by Police, when arrested for public drunkenness at Fasi.