Results for From the Courts

Lord Tu’ivakano lost his appeal against the dismissal of his malicious prosecution claim against the Police Commissioner, Attorney General and the Kingdom of Tonga in 2021, when he was claiming a total of $5.75 million in damages. Today, the Appeal Court judges stated that the Lord Chief Justice was right to dismiss the malicious prosecution claim.

Two Cabinet Ministers, who were found to have committed offences of bribery under the Electoral Act, in the lead-up to the November 2021 General Election, have been granted a stay of execution in their judgements, and their unseating stayed, until their appeal is heard and determined. A special Appeal Session is scheduled for July.

Mafi Fatongiatau Fakatene (22) was sentenced to four-years imprisonment for grievous bodily harm, when he wounded a 25-year-old victim with a machete at Fua'amotu. The court was told that these two men had a long simmering animosity that was punctuated by outbursts of violence.

A former police officer, Joshua Halafihi 'Anitema (31) was sentenced to seven-years imprisonment for raping a teenager, while she was in custody.

Ma’ake Pasina (36) was sentenced to two and a half-years imprisonment for causing serious bodily harm when he stabbed a complainant twice during brawl, in Ngele’ia in 2021. The Lord Chief Justice also rescinded a previous six-months' suspended sentence and added it to this one, meaning the offender will serve a total of three-years imprisonment.

A 38-year-old man was sentenced to three-years imprisonment for two counts of serious indecent assault of a child under the age of 12 years.

Prolific thief Sione Katoa who is currently serving a prison sentence was sentenced to 11-months imprisonment for common assault, serious housebreaks and theft of high value electronic goods.

Tevita Tupou was sentenced to three-years and ten-months imprisonment for possession of illicit drugs, in two offences committed last year on Tongatapu.

The election of Tatafu Moeaki as the Tongatapu No. 4 People’s Representative to the Legislative Assembly was declared void by a Supreme Court judge today, who found that he committed bribery on two occasions, in the lead-up to the November 2021 General Election. Moeaki, the current Minister of Finance, is the second Cabinet Minister the court has found to have committed the offence of bribery under the Electoral Act.