Results for From the Courts

Samuela Hafoka (24) who was convicted of serious housebreaking and theft of goods valued at around $20,000 from a home at Pili, received a fully suspended sentence at the Supreme Court in Nuku'alofa.

Siua Sekona is a co-accused charged with Sione Filipe Jr in relation to the seizure of 242 grams of cannabis seeds brought into Tonga, at Fua’amotu International Airport in March, confirmed Police Prosecution.

Vaha Palei (32) who was found guilty of possessing 20.4 grams of methamphetamine at Te’ekiu in May last year, was remanded for sentencing next month.

A 25-year-old man was acquitted of attempted rape of a young woman at a home in Nuku’alofa in May last year.

Paki mo Talaha Tausinga was found guilty on two counts that included not helping an injured woman pedestrian following an accident in the Nuku'alofa CBD last year. Although the accused was found to be the driver responsible for this collision, he was acquitted of reckless driving, injuring a female pedestrian, because there was uncertainty about the quality of the

 evidence to prove this serious charge.

Uilisoni Falahola was acquitted of manslaughter in the electrocution death of a man in Kolomotu'a in a verdict delivered by the Lord Chief Justice in his on June 19 at the Supreme Court in Nuku'alofa.

A 56-year-old man was sentenced to 16-months imprisonment for indecently assaulting a child under the age of 12 last year in the Nuku'alofa area.

Tonga’s former Prime Minister Lord Tu’ivakano pleaded not guilty today to a total of 15 charges, with 12 of those charges including perjury and accepting bribes, relating to the issuance of Tongan passports, and three charges for possession of firearms and ammunition without a license.

Sepuloni Mateo (24) received a two year suspended jail sentence after pleading guilty to seven counts of forgery and knowingly dealing with forged documents, in which he got more $8,000 pa'anga by false representing his employer to a customer in 2017.