Results for Tonga ferry sinking

A second jury of three women and four men was selected this morning February 11 to try four men and the Shipping Corporation of Polynesia Ltd who are charged with manslaughter by negligence in the sinking of the Princess Ashika ferry on August 5, 2009.

The Government of Tonga this morning, November 4 handed out about $1.2 million pa'anga to the next of kin of 14 victims who died in the sinking of the MV Princess Ashika ferry in August last year. Each family received a cheque of $80,000 pa'anga.

A memorial stone wall for the 74 people who died in the sinking of the MV Princess Ashika, a year ago on 5 August 2009, was unveiled by Crown Prince Tupoutoa Lavaka in an emotional ceremony at the Vakataumai Cemetery, on Vuna Road, Ma'ufanga on Sunday August 8.

After Tonga's Attorney General, John Cauchi SC handed over his letter of resignation to the Tongan Government, he today expressed his disappointment that after the government made the initial move to establish an independent Judiciary, it lacked the political will to make it work.

The tragedy of the MV Princess Ashika sinking is that the causes of the disaster were all easily preventable and the 74 deaths were completely senseless, an inquiry into the sinking of the Tongan ferry on August 5 last year, has concluded.

The much-anticipated Final Report into the Sinking of the MV Princess Ashika will be presented to HM King George Tupou V on Wednesday, March 31 in Nuku'alofa.

Tongans will always remember the day the Princess Ashika sunk in the Pacific waters. Just days after the tragedy, I flew over that same ocean on my first trip to Tonga to participate in a discussion of Tonga's corruption and transparency challenges based on recent fieldwork my organization, Global Integrity, had conducted with a team of Tongan researchers and journalists. - Norah Mallaney

The Company Secretary of the Shipping Corporation of Polynesia Ltd Lord Dalgety is under fire at the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the sinking of the MV Ashika on February 25, after evidence revealed a "scandalous contract" of employment and possible use of public funds to finance personal and first class travels in his other role as Chairman of the Electricity Commission.

The former Minister of Transport Paul Karalus (61) told the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the sinking of the MV Ashika today that during his time as Minister his understanding was that the power to detain an unseaworthy ship from sea was of the Director of Marine, and he, on the other hand, would just support it.