Results for Supreme Court

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.

A 16-year-old boy received a fully suspended sentence for indecently assaulting a 51-year-old woman, who was going for a run in the morning. "No member of society deserves to be set upon in broad daylight in the way in which the defendant did here,” said the Chief Justice in sentencing the offender.

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.

Sione Filipe Jr and a co-accused pleaded not guilty to illicit drug charges, when they appeared for the first time at the Supreme Court on February 6.

The trial for Lord Tu’ivakano on charges relating to the issuance of Tongan passports starts on February 10, at the Supreme Court in Nuku’alofa.

Rizvi Jurangpathy whose employment contract was terminated by Tonga Communications Corporation in 2017, was awarded $165,000 pa'anga in damages by the Lord Chief Justice, who found he was subjected to unfair treatment when he was under investigation for the allegations against him. The employer had relied on “inaccurate and inadequate” information and breached its obligations.

The five men charged with the murder of Sione Feimoefiafi (49) in the Nuku'alofa CBD, have pleaded not guilty on December 17 at the Supreme Court in Nuku'alofa.

Viliami Mangisi (60) was sentenced to 12-years six-months imprisonment for possession and attempting to export 1.9 kilograms methamphetamine, when he was arrested at Fua‘amotu International Airport, in 2018. The offender was a mastermind and a deterrent sentence was required “to protect society from offenders who participate in and promote this evil trade," said the judge.

A 30-year-old man received a fully suspended sentence for theft when he used pre-signed withdrawal slips and withdrew money from his customary adopted father’s account, at Tonga Development Bank.