IN ... Police Minister Dr Viliami Latu shrugs aside reforms. Photo: Matangi Tonga

Pacific Scoop:
Report – Matangi Tonga in Nuku’alofa

Tonga’s Minister of Police, Dr Viliami Latu, says he will become become Tonga’s Acting Police Commissioner when Commissioner Chris Kelley vacates his post tomorrow.

The new government has the right to appoint him as the interim Police Commissioner because the new Privy Council had not met, Dr Latu believes.

Making the announcement at the Tonga Police headquarters, Longolongo, in a press conference yesterday, the minister said he had been opposed to the new Tonga Police Act since its inception. Read more »

Princess Ashika captain Makahokovalu Tuputupu (left) leaves court yesterday with his lawyer Sifa Tu’utafaiva. Photo: Taimi Media Network

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Taimi Media Network in Nuku’alofa

The jury found all four men accused in Tonga’s 2009 Princess Ashika ferry tragedy guilty of manslaughter yesterday after deliberating for nearly 11 hours.

The men – including New Zealander John Jonesse – were behind bars last night awaiting sentence next week.

The jury foreman delivered the guilty verdict on all 27 charges about 10.20am. Read more »

Pacific Press Release – Tonga Attorney-General’s Office

The prosecution of criminal matters in the Kingdom lies with the Attorney General. When this office became independent that function also became fully independent of the government, this is done to ensure no political interference occurs and people facing the courts in Tonga are afforded a fair trial.

They appear for trial by jury, on their election, before independent and impartial Judges.

Read more »

The Princess Ashika, and the bodies of many of her victims, now rest deep on the Pacific Ocean seabed. (Photo: Royal New Zealand Navy.)

Pacific Scoop:
Special Report – By Josephine Latu.

Earlier this year, Tongan MP and pro-democracy leader ‘Akilisi Pohiva made a drastic prediction about the nation’s worst tragedy since the 1918 flu epidemic.

“This will spell the end of the current monarchial government,” he told New Zealand-based T-News. Seventy-four lives – which, out of a total population of 104,000, is equivalent to over 3201 New Zealanders – were lost when the MV Princess Ashika ferry sank to the bottom of the ocean on August 5 last year. Read more »

Press Release:
The Kingdom Of Tonga.

The Prime Minister, Dr. the Hon Feleti Vaka’uta Sevele, today announced that the Governments of Tonga, New Zealand, and Australia have finalised the charter agreement for an interim ferry service in Tonga which will commence in April 2010, once the charter vessel, the Ajang Subuh, has arrived in Nuku’alofa from Malaysia. Read more »

The contributions to the Ashika Relief Fund, amounting to TOP$1,061,908.61, will be distributed to survivors and members of the families of those who died in the Ashika tragedy, on Friday, 5th March, 2010.

The distribution will be carried out during a Thanksgiving Service and Ceremony which will be held at the Fa’onelua Convention Center in Nuku’alofa, beginning at 4:00pm. Relatives of the deceased and the survivors have been invited to the ceremony, as well community leaders and dignitaries.

The Ashika Relief Fund was established by the Government in August 2009 to receive financial donations from Tonga and abroad towards the welfare of the families of those who died in the tragedy, as well as the survivors and their families. The Fund was placed under the control of a committee of Trustees made up of selected Church Leaders, chaired by Rev Dr. ‘Ahio, Royal Chaplain and President of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga.

Humanitarian and financial assistance had already been provided soon after the tragedy by the Government, as well as community groups and organisations, to the families of the deceased and the survivors, to cater for their immediate needs. The Ashika Relief Fund was aimed at meeting the long term welfare needs of these families.

The Chairman of the Trustees of the Ashika Relief Fund, Rev. Dr. ‘Ahio, said, “I wish to thank everyone here in Tonga and overseas who contributed to the Fund. In these difficult economic times, all your kindhearted donations are deeply appreciated. I pray that God will continue to shower His blessings upon all of you.”

Ends

Princess Ashika disaster's death toll of 74 passengers and crew made it the nation's worst shipping tragedy. Photo: TNews.

Pacific Scoop:
By Pesi Fonua in Nuku’alofa

Tonga’s Prime Minister, Dr Feleti Sevele, has been censured for making an “inappropriate” personal remark to counsel assisting, in a closing statement he gave to the Princess Ashika disaster inquiry following an intense session of questioning that continued until midnight on Tuesday. Read more »

Princess Ashika disaster's death toll of 74 passengers and crew made it the nation's worst shipping tragedy to date. Photo: TNews.

Pacific Scoop:
By Pesi Fonua in Nuku’alofa

Due diligence is the normal process prior to the purchasing of anything, the manager of the regional maritime programme of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Captain John Hogan, has told Tonga’s Royal Commission of Inquiry into the sinking of the Princess Ashika. Read more »

The Princess Ashika death toll of 74 passengers and crew made it Tonga's worst shipping tragedy. Photo: TNews.

Pacific.Scoop
By Josephine Latu

Potentially damning testimonies from a welder and an engineer were presented this week to Tonga’s Royal Commission of Inquiry charged with investigating sinking of the Princess Ashika interisland ferry.
Read more »

Pacific Press Release – Tonga ‘Ofa Kihe Vahanoa Relief Fund,  15 September 2009

TELETHON APPEAL HELPS TONGAN FERRY DISASTER FAMILIES

Families of the victims of the Tongan ferry disaster have been given more than $313.70 pa’anga each, following a telethon fundraiser run by the fundraising committee “Tonga ‘Ofa Kihe Vahanoa Relief Fund” in New Zealand.
Read more »