Mary Mercedes Lea’aetoa was sentenced by Judge Belinda Lonsdale in the Albany District Court on Thursday. The court heard Lea’aetoa, who pleaded guilty to fraud charges last year, made multiple withdrawals from a 63-year-old woman’s account over nine months. The 26-year-old accomplished the theft by filling out forged withdrawal vouchers. Her victim did not notice the unauthorised transactions at first but tried to seek help from ANZ when she found larger sums from $600 to $5,000 being frequently withdrawn. The pensioner, who is known to Lea’aetoa, is in palliative care. Prosecutors told the court the former teller used the stolen…
Author: Newsdesk
Tongan coconut fibre artisan Sione Maileseni has been weaving for 20 years but fears culture and tradition are being lost through generations. Mr Maileseni, one of around 40 members of the Tonga delegation at the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture, learned how to weave in 2003 from a retired teacher who, in turn, learned from reading a book. Mr Maileseni told ABC Pacific he worked with the Australian Museum last year and visited the different islands of Tonga to document tapa-making and weaving in the kingdom. “The sad story about documenting all these, the weaving and tapa-making, the old…
A child sex offender was sentenced to 24 years imprisonment by the Supreme Court of Tonga after he pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual offences to three young female children. In sentencing the 42-year-old father on 26 April Acting Justice Langi directed that “the identity of all parties taken in these proceedings shall not be published in the Kingdom in a written publication to the public or be broadcast in the Kingdom.” “This sentence is not only to punish the offender but to also reflect public disdain for sexual assaults on children and to serve as a deterrent for…
A historic meeting of traditional leaders has been a poignant moment at the 50th anniversary Pacific arts and culture festival in Hawaii. Traditional leaders from across the Pacific have met during the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture (FestPAC) to sign a declaration solidifying their commitment to strengthen relationships and share knowledge on how to collectively face challenges confronting Pacific people. In March, a catalyst for the re-gathering of traditional Pacific leaders occurred in Fiji, when nation’s Great Council of Chiefs met after a 16-year hiatus. Leaders held a ceremony to formally honour the ali’i and to celebrate connection…
Several international human rights organisations have expressed grave concern over recent discussions in Tonga’s Parliament suggesting the extension of the death penalty to drug-related offences. “We are gravely concerned about the debate held in Tonga’s Parliament late last month, which suggests the country may be considering extending the death penalty to drug-related offences,” said a joint statement by Amnesty International, Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network (ADPAN), Capital Punishment Justice Project (CPJP), Australia, Harm Reduction International, Julian Wagner Memorial Fund (JWMF), Australia, Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA), and World Coalition Against the Death Penalty (WCADP). The debate, reported to have taken place…
Uneeq Palavi emerged as the jewel in Tonga’s crown at the 2023 Netball World Cup, but her journey almost ended before it began. Initially hesitant to answer Netball Tonga’s calls, Palavi feared she wasn’t ready for international netball. “When they first messaged me to play, I didn’t respond urgently because I didn’t feel like I was in the right mindset to play for Tonga,” she told Netball Australia in an interview. It took her grandmother’s insistence to get her on the court. “Everyone who’s Tongan knows my grandma and she was adamant that I had to do it.” Palavi’s initial…
The Government of Tonga has unveiled its draft budget for the fiscal year 2024/25, amounting to $899.2 million. Themed “Building the foundations for sector-driven economic growth and sustainability,” the budget underscores the government’s dedication to economic stability, social welfare, and sustainable growth. This balanced budget is the first proposed since 2019/20, highlighting the government’s commitment to macroeconomic stability. Funding includes $452.3 million from government recurrent funds and $446.9 million from development partners. Notably, there are no new domestic taxes proposed for the fiscal year 2024/25. Key allocations in the budget focus on the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of…
A Supreme Court judge has rejected a request by a former director at the Ministry of Tourism to review a PSC decision to dismiss her due to serious breach of discipline. Mary Magdalena Tafa Fifita was a long-time Ministry employee who eventually held the position of director. On 19 January 2024 she submitted an ex parte application for leave for judicial review and to strike out the PSC decision. Fifita’s move came after a complaint was filed against her on 11 April 2023 with PSC. It alleged that Fifita had given catering contracts to a firm run by her daughter,…
Pacific countries producing kava have taken a step forward to protect the cultural heritage, quality, intellectual property, and economic benefits of Pacific Kava at a workshop held in Vanuatu this week. An Implementation Plan for the Regional Kava Development Strategy has been agreed upon, reflecting a collective Blue Pacific approach to addressing economic issues. Speaking at the event, Honourable Bob Loughman, Vanuatu’s Minister for Trade and Commerce, emphasised kava’s importance: “Kava is vital to our cultural heritage, our economies, and the livelihood of our Pacific people.” He highlighted Vanuatu’s kava export growth, which surged by 366% from 2014 to 2022,…
Leaders across the Micronesian islands are facing a growing concern: a significant labour shortage fueled by mass migration to the United States. This issue took center stage at the recent 26th Micronesian Islands Forum held in Guam held this week. The exodus is driven by a stark economic disparity. As Palauan Vice President Uduch Senior pointed out, the low local minimum wage of $3.50 per hour pales in comparison to what Micronesians can earn in the United States. This significant income gap is enticing young people to seek opportunities abroad, leading to population decline in the islands. The consequences are…