24 Jan 2012

Tongan noble will re-appear in court over illegal possession of firearm

10:47 am on 24 January 2012

A Tongan noble will re-appear in court in two weeks charged with the illegal possession of a firearm.

Matangi Tonga reports Lord Tu'iha'ateiho, a Ha'apai Noble's Representative, appeared at the Magistrate's Court yesterday.

The case was adjourned to February the 6th to allow two weeks for papers to be handed over to the defence.

On February 6 the defendant will elect whether he prefers a Preliminary Inquiry at the lower court or to have his case submitted directly to the Supreme Court for trial.

He was represented by Sifa Tu'utafaiva, a People's Representative to the Tonga Parliament, and the current Chairman of the Whole House Committee.

The noble was first charged in 2010, and his first court appearance was in December of that year.