A senior bank official at the National Reserve Bank of Tonga (NRBT) and his sister have been charged after being caught with 15 kilograms methamphetamine over the weekend.
Tēvita Nonu Kolokihakaufisi, a senior official at the NRBT aged 39, along with his sister, ‘Ana Longolongo Kolokihakaufisi, aged 37, faced charges on Monday at the Magistrate’s Court in Nuku’alofa after they were arrested at their home.
Police seized 5.657kg of meth at their family residence at Kolofo’ou on Saturday and a further 9.927kg from Tēvita’s office at the NRBT on Sunday. The street value of the seized illicit drugs is estimated at $15 million Pa’anga (US$6.3 m).
In a statement, the Police said that during the court proceedings, two defense counsels representing the siblings requested bail for ‘Ana, based on a doctor’s letter from 2015 indicating a past mental health issue.
However, Magistrate Ane Tāvō Mailangi denied the bail application due to the outdated nature of the medical report, suggesting a more recent evaluation for the court to consider.
Magistrate Mailangi ordered both the accused to remain in police custody until their next court appearance scheduled for this Friday.
Speaking on the matter, Commissioner of Police Shane McLennan said, “In continuing to work towards achieving our goals of Safe Homes, Safe Roads, and Safe Communities, Tonga Police will persist in targeting and working to disrupt and detect those responsible for placing our youths and communities in harm’s way through the supply of illicit drugs, and hold them to account.”
Under Tonga’s Illicit Drugs Control Act, possession of a Class A drug weighing 5 kilograms or more carries a sentence of life imprisonment.
Police investigations continue.
