Two men and one woman were jailed for possession of 20.92 grams and 13.52 grams of methamphetamine seized in a police raid outside a restaurant in Houma. In sentencing the trio at the Supreme Court in Nuku'alofa, Lord Chief Justice Bishop said Methamphetamine is a serious scourge in Tonga. “Considering the current increase of illicit drugs in the community, deterrence and with it punishment, is of greater priority than rehabilitation.”
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Results for From the Courts
Thursday 10 July 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
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Wednesday 9 July 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Manase Funaki (37) is serving three years imprisonment for reckless driving that caused the deaths of his two children aged nine and 12 years. His vehicle rolled off Hihifo Road and hit a fence, in January this year. The judge said the driver demonstrated a flagrant disregard for the law and the safety of his passengers or other road users.
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Tuesday 1 July 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Bosco Fakatava (19) is serving six months imprisonment after pleading guilty to robbery of a cell phone and cash totaling over $2,000 from a victim whom he assaulted in 2024. His co-accused, who pleaded not guilty, awaits a verdict.
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Friday 27 June 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A Tongatapu trader, Yu Xi Di (44), is serving 14 months imprisonment obtaining $68,977 pa’anga by false pretences from different businessmen in Vava’u, who were deceived thinking they would receive goods from Tongatapu, including frozen meat they had paid for.
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Wednesday 25 June 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Amy Leger (35) who worked as a nanny for the King’s niece and her family received a suspended sentence for three counts of forgery and one of theft when over three months in 2023, she withdrew a total of $10,000 pa'anga by using her employer's pre-signed blank cheques without authorisation.
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Tuesday 24 June 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Repeat offender Sati’o Matakaiongo (43) is serving 18 months imprisonment for possession of 43.07 grams of cannabis seized in Popua. His 23 year old co-accused received a suspended sentence in the Fasi Magistrate's Court.
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Wednesday 18 June 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
‘Asaeli Niu’ila (96) who resides in Wellington, was successful in his action to evict occupants from his town allotment in Niutoua, after being granted judgment in the Nuku'alofa Land Court on 18 June. The judge said that this was an unfortunate case, where one of the defendants had simply misunderstood the arrangement between the plaintiff and his late parents or was misled as to his interests or rights over this land.
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Monday 16 June 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Maamafo’ou Movete (32) is serving four and half years’ imprisonment for multiple charges, including possession of 17.31 grams of methamphetamine and supplying others with 11.88 grams of methamphetamine last year. His 20-year-old co-accused received a suspended sentence.
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Friday 13 June 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Fatafehi Tomasi (22) is serving 10 months imprisonment for injuring a passenger, while driving under the influence of alcohol . When his loaded car crashed into another vehicle, after a night out in a bar in the Nuku'alofa CBD, he fled the scene.
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Friday 13 June 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
‘Ofa Tokelau obtained $17,000 pa’anga by false pretences from a complainant who thought she was ordering a vehicle from Japan, which never arrived. Justice Paul Garlick found the scammer guilty of a false pretences charge on 6 June in the Supreme Court, Nuku’alofa.
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Thursday 12 June 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Seteone Mu’asika (26) is serving six months imprisonment for causing serious bodily harm, when he struck a 17 year old on the back with a machete, in an alcohol-fuelled attack at Lapaha in July last year. A co-accused, who escaped, has not been caught by Police. The Chief Justice said the Court must do all it can to stamp out the increasing use of machetes during disagreements.
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Monday 9 June 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Fine Tevita Fifita (31) and Vaivevea Mafi (45) are serving life imprisonment after being found guilty on charges that included the unlawful importation of 1157.4 grams of methamphetamine, concealed inside a crate in a container shipped from the United States of America in 2023.
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Friday 30 May 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Toni ‘Alatini (23) is serving 15 months in prison for striking Sosefo Taufa with a machete on his left arm, resulting in serious injuries in an unprovoked attack in Veitongo.
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Friday 30 May 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Epuefi Laimani was found guilty of three charges that included possession of 13.27 grams of methamphetamine in Sopu, after being caught by police officers, who received information that he was selling illicit drugs in the area.
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Thursday 22 May 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A drugs offender, Isaiah Takau lost his appeal against his prison sentence for possession of 11.94 grams of methamphetamine and cultivation of 36.67 grams of cannabis.
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Thursday 22 May 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Hausia Vaka, who was sentenced to seven and a half years imprisonment with the last year suspended for grievous bodily harm, when he attacked and severely injured his neighbour's left hand with a machete in 2022, lost his appeal against conviction and sentence.
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Tuesday 20 May 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A fraudulent online car dealer, Filimone To‘aho, who was found guilty of eight charges of receiving a total of $243,486 by false pretences in a scam on Facebook, had his appeal against his conviction dismissed by the Appeal Court.
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Tuesday 20 May 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Siaosi Halaholo Vete who was sentenced to two years imprisonment for charges of serious housebreaking and theft of property totaling at around $30,798 from his sister’s home, in order to feed his methamphetamine habit, had his appeal against his sentence dismissed.
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Tuesday 20 May 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A cross-appeal by former government Ministers, ‘Etuate and ‘Akosita Lavulavu, challenging a Supreme Court judge's ruling that the Audit Office did not unlawfully uplift documents from the 'Unuaki 'o Tonga Royal Institute, was dismissed by the Appeal Court last week, in the latest of a long winding legal battle, which has resulted in the constant delay of their re-trial.
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Monday 19 May 2025
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Motekiai Taufahema (48) was jailed for three years after being found guilty of two offences that included causing serious bodily harm, when he threw a machete injuring a man in a confrontation outside his home in Navutoka. Police also found drugs utensils inside the home. The Lord Chief Justice stated that this incident was entirely of the defendant’s own making. He has a record for serious violence.
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