Results for Tonga

The Ports Authority Tonga held its 2020 Annual General Meeting on 22 February, and paid its sole shareholder, the Government of Tonga, a dividend of $1,541,445, for the financial year ended 30 June 2020.

An environmental study on seabed mining for “polymetallic nodules” - rocks that contain metals needed to build batteries, is underway in the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) of the Pacific between Hawaii and Mexico. The aim is to use the metals to power electric cars. The study is being undertaken by DeepGreen Metals Inc., a Canadian-based seafloor mining developer, which acquired Tonga Offshore Mining Limited (TOML) last year, and has sponsorship from the Tonga government for seabed exploration. By Eleanor Gee.

Taufa Latuselu was sentenced to nine-months imprisonment, which was fully suspended for unlawful possession of illicit drugs by the Lord Chief Justice who said, had he been charged with supplying or if this offending occurred after the current amendments to the Illicit Drugs Control Act, full suspension would not have been available.

Latu Selu was acquitted of charges, including possession of methamphatamine due to an unlawful search by Tonga Police, ruled a Supreme Court judge who found there was a deliberate disregard of the law.

The trial of former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Sione Vuna Fa’otusia will be held in July on charges, which related to a dispute over a stolen cow in 2019.

A cheque of $250,000 dividend was presented to government from the property sector of public enterprises during their Annual General Meeting today, 16 February.

Science scholarships were presented to eight high school and tertiary students on February 15 sponsored by the Tonga Offshore Mining Ltd. The awards will help them with their school fees.

The 107 passengers who were repatriated from Australia on February 11 have all tested negative for CoViD-19 in their first testing.

Four men were found guilty at the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court on numerous charges of possessing methamphetamine and cannabis at a home in Hofoa, where drug dealing was conducted. They will be sentenced on a later date.