A vote by Tonga’s Members of Parliament on Thursday 8 November, agreed (16 – 4) to recognize that Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva and six cabinet ministers had inappropriately spent their budget allocations for the 2015-16, 2016-17, and 2017-18 Financial Years. The historical vote recognised the findings of a Report of the Auditor General. The presentation of the Report of the Auditor General to the House was called for by a petition signed by over 3300 people that came into the House. The Tongan Parliament has been struggling with the petition since it was tabled into parliament in May by the People’s Representative for ‘Eua, Tevita Lavemaau, who was a Minister of Finance for the current government from March 9 until early September 2017. The most interesting aspect of the Petition, apart from proposing for the House to defer its deliberation over the 2018-19 National Budget while the Auditor General audited the budget allocations, was its statement for the House to be aware that there would also be impeachment cases against the ministers who allegedly misused their budgets. The Ministries are: Five portfolios under PM Pohiva during those years – including Education and Training, Internal Affairs, Foreign Affairs and the Public Service Commission; Infrastructure and Tourism (Hon. Semisi Sika); Finance, (Hon. Pohiva Tu‘i‘onetoa); Justice and Prisons, (Hon. Vuna Fa‘otusia); Education and Training (Hon. Penisimani Fifita); Revenue Collection and Tax (Hon. Mateni Tapueluelu); Trade, Innovation and Labour, (Hon. Tevita Tu‘i Uata). The Auditor’s report was tabled into parliament, and spotlighted that proper procedure had not been followed in the management of public funds. The Auditor reported… [Read full story]
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