'Ileana Suliana Taulua was found not guilty on five counts of making a false declaration to obtain a Tongan passport at the Supreme Court on June 11. A sixth count of possession of a forged passport was dismissed, after the Crown led no evidence. The Chief Justice also noted that an era within this country to grant passports to non Tongan nationals for considerable sums of money had led to renewals of those passports that caused significant concern.
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Results for passport offences
Tuesday 16 June 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
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Friday 24 April 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Lord Tu'ivakano was sentenced today to two-years imprisonment, which was fully suspended, for charges relating to the issuance of Tongan passports to Chinese nationals. He was also fined $4,000 for possession of a firearm and ammunition without a license. In sentencing, the Chief Justice also took into consideration the potential ramifications of s.37 of the Land Act, clause 23 of the Constitution and s.386 of the Companies Act. (If the prison sentence was more than two years the noble would lose his hereditary rights.)
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Wednesday 4 March 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
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.
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Saturday 22 February 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
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.
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Tuesday 18 February 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The jury trial against Lord Tu’ivakano who is charged with 10 counts, mostly passport related offences is continuing, in its second week at the Supreme Court, in Nuku'alofa.
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Tuesday 11 February 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
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.
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Saturday 12 October 2019
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A Supreme Court ruling will be delivered on October 25 on an application by Lord Tu‘ivakano to strike out nine of the 15 charges against him, relating to the issuance of Tongan passports.
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