Results for Supreme Court

A contempt of court application, filed against the Ministry and Minister of Infrastructure by three contractors, was adjourned to 12 April for further consideration. This is in regards to an earlier court order that among other orders, restrained both the Ministry and Minister from terminating the contractors' contracts to supply coral and clay soil fills.

Henry Liutai (36), who was found guilty on two counts of unlawful importation of restricted goods, including a .9mm pistol and ammunition found during Customs' inspection of a crate from the United States, was fined $4000 at the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court. He had no import license.

Siaosi Helu (36) was sentenced to four-months imprisonment of possession of illicit drugs, namely of 0.47 grams of cannabis in Nuku’alofa in 2021. His co-accused Akuila 'Aho had his sentence fully suspended. 'Aho was found not guilty on a further charge after evidence from drugs testing was ruled inadmissible.

Filipe Tongamoa (20) was jailed for dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm to his passenger, who was on life support for six-days. The court heard that Tongamoa was drunk when he lost control of his vehicle and crashed on Hihifo Road in 2022. He hurt his passengers and another driver.

Raj Kumar was found guilty of attempting to knowingly destroy suspected illicit drugs, capable of being used as evidence in the commission of an offence, in a drug bust on the road in 2021.

Manavahetau Fua’eiki (43) is serving a total sentence of three-years nine-months imprisonment for two separate cases, that included charges of serious housebreaking and theft of firearms, which he committed in 2021, while he was on a suspended sentence for drug offences. This suspended sentence was activated.

Maamaloa Fangupo (28) was sentenced to two-years six-months imprisonment for serious causing bodily harm to another 28-year-old man, when he stabbed him multiple times, during a drink up in Ha’ateiho in 2022.

Mele Teusivi 'Amanaki was convicted of failing to deliver a signed statement of her election expenses and was ordered to pay $200 fine within a month or face one-month imprisonment, after the Crown successfully appealed against her earlier discharge without conviction by the Magistrate's Court.

Two men were jailed for possession of methamphetamine and drug utensil, after they were arrested under a tree in Nukunuku. A third co-accused received suspended sentence.