Results for From the Courts

A husband and wife who were convicted of rape, sodomy and indecent assault of a woman in Neiafu, Vava’u last year, have been sentenced to 17 years and 15 years imprisonment respectively.

A 31-year-old man was sentenced to three-years and six-months imprisonment for grievous bodily harm, when he stabbed a teenager in the back with a knife. The Lord Chief Justice said that sentences for any form of assault in which a knife is used to inflict harm, must include a significant component for deterrence.

The jury trial against Lord Tu’ivakano who is charged with 10 counts, mostly passport related offences continues at the Supreme Court, in Nuku'alofa.

The trial of former Prime Minister Lord Tu‘ivakano, who is facing multiple charges in relation to passport offences, began on Monday 10 February and a jury has been selected and sworn in at the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court.

‘Epeli Taione (40) and two other men who have been charged with possession of illicit drugs, appeared at the Fasi Magistrate’s Court on February 3.

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.

The case against five men charged with the murder in the death of Sione Feimoefiafi (49), was called for the first time at the Supreme Court on December 3.