Kali Malupo (57) who was convicted of grievous bodily harm, when he struck a 24-year-old man on the head using a machete at Manuka on eastern Tongatapu, was sentenced to six and a half-years imprisonment, while his two sons received a lesser jail sentence for common assault in a group attack on the victim. The judge said their attacks “revealed levels of anger and violence going far beyond...argument of self-defence.” For Kali “the clear intention was to kill Filihai Li.”
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Results for sentencing
Tuesday 24 October 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
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Monday 16 October 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Seinivunga Lafo’ou (30) was sentenced to 20-months imprisonment, partially suspended, for forgery and theft of around $34,000 from her employer, National Rugby League Tonga, taken from a bank account in 46 systematic unauthorised withdrawals over 13-months. She tried to frame her co-worker for the theft. The funds stolen were a grant from the Government of Australia for the development of NRL in Tonga.
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Friday 6 October 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Fokikovi Lauaki (28) was jailed for stealing $144,660 from Luna'eva Enterprises Limited in 2022. She diverted the company's funds into her own bank account and another bank account. “That she did this after being dismissed shows a particularly brazen character and one determined to cheat,” said the judge.
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Thursday 5 October 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Andrew Motuliki (28) was sentenced to seven and a half-years imprisonment for supplying cocaine that washed up on beaches in Vava’u in 2021. The court heard that he played a significant role, when he involved others for reward, as he had some understanding of the scale of the operation.
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Thursday 5 October 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Pita Fanua (48) was sentenced to five-years imprisonment for causing grievous bodily harm when he struck another man on the face with a fishing torch causing permanent blindness to his left eye, in a family incident in Ha’apai in 2020.
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Friday 29 September 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Siaosi Havea (28) was sentenced to three-years five-months imprisonment for serious housebreaking and the theft of goods valued at $10,118 pa’anga from a shop at Poutaha. ““It is quite obvious from the defendant’s previous convictions that he is a habitual property offender and is a high risk of re-offending,” said the judge.
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Monday 25 September 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A repeat drug offender, Paula Keni Moala (53) was jailed for over seven years for possession of 28.66 grams of methamphetamine and 3.81 grams of cannabis seized by Police, who received information that he was driving around selling illicit drugs in the Nuku’alofa area. The time includes a previous suspended jail sentence that was activated.
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Thursday 17 August 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A 45 year old man who exported methamphetamine from Tonga is the first person to receive a mandatory life sentence under a tough new drugs law. Nomani Kama Manulevu (45) from Nukuhetulu was sentenced to life imprisonment for the unlawful exportation of 29.7 kgs of methamphetamine that was concealed in a refrigerated container to New Zealand in 2021.
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Wednesday 5 July 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
‘Ilaisaane Kolo (19) was sentenced to eight-months imprisonment for the theft of $15,000 pa’anga, which was inside a handbag she stole from a woman at her home market in Ma'ufanga.
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Friday 26 May 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Matangi Fetu‘u‘aho (36) was jailed for 20-months for possession of drug utensils together with the activation of his 11-months suspended sentence, at the Supreme Court in Nuku'alofa.
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Monday 22 May 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
‘Alaponi Vaomotou (46) was sentenced to three-years nine-months imprisnment for causing serious bodily harm, when he injured his neighbour on the arm with a machete, at Fou'i. The judge said it was his second conviction for a machete attack. “I consider Mr Vaomotou poses a real danger to the public, consequently none of his sentence will be suspended."
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Friday 19 May 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Semisi Mala’efo’ou (16) was sentenced to three-years imprisonment for dangerous driving causing the death of a 21-year-old on ‘Eua in November 2022.
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Wednesday 10 May 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A 50-year-old man was sentenced to an aggregate 30-months imprisonment sentence on three charges of serious indecent assaults of a teenager on Tongatapu.
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Friday 5 May 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A 63-year-old man was sentenced to eight-years imprisonment with no suspension. for three charges, that included raping a woman on Tongatapu.
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Thursday 4 May 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A 29-year-old man was sentenced to two-years six-months imprisonment for causing serious bodily harm to his wife in a brutal attack using three weapons, on Tongatapu in 2022, after he became infuriated with gossip about his wife on Facebook. The judge said it was in the worst category of cases involving domestic violence that had come before the court.
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Tuesday 2 May 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Kaufana Maile (36) was sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment for possession of illicit drugs including 2.12 grams of methamphetamine at a home in Hala’ovave, in 2022.
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Thursday 27 April 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Sione Matangi Malupo (35) was sentenced to two-years imprisonment for serious housebreaking and theft of goods, including Tongan crafts valued at around $11,600 from a home in Ma’ufanga.
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Tuesday 25 April 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Penisimani Nonu (29) received a suspended sentence for numerous counts, including forgery of health certificates to a shop owner at Tofoa in January 2022.
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Friday 14 April 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tevita Taulanga Tupou (22) had a year added to his current three-years sentence for his most recent offences of serious housebreaking and theft of Tongan mats and other items valued at $14,100 from a church in Ma'ufanga.
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Tuesday 4 April 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Eight local people in Vava’u were sentenced to between three years to 13.5 years imprisonment for their opportunistic roles in handling blocks of cocaine from a large shipment, found washed up on 'Otualea Beach there in 2021. They were caught in an investigation that started when children at Holeva picked up a brick of cocaine on the beach and handed it in to authorities.
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