02-29-2008, 01:41 PM
29 Feb 2008, 17:54
Nuku'alofa, Tonga:
A COUPLE from Ha'akame who pleaded guilty to charges of obtaining a $3,000 pa'anga loan from the Westpac Bank of Tonga by false pretences received a suspended sentenced today.
Motekiai and Kalolaine Toutai appeared at the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court: the husband charged with obtaining money through false pretences while the wife appeared for abetment to the crime.
Chief Justice Anthony Ford imposed a one-year imprisonment sentence for each accused.
But after considering their guilty plea and being first time offenders he said they seem to be decent people, with three young children, who are remorseful in what they did, he then suspended the whole sentence for two years given the couple complete 80 hours voluntary work.
The Chief Justice also told the court that the couple applied for a loan from the Westpac Bank of Tonga where they deceived the bank by submitting that the husband had a job but he never did.
View full story: http://www.matangitonga.to/article/tonga...0208.shtml
Nuku'alofa, Tonga:
A COUPLE from Ha'akame who pleaded guilty to charges of obtaining a $3,000 pa'anga loan from the Westpac Bank of Tonga by false pretences received a suspended sentenced today.
Motekiai and Kalolaine Toutai appeared at the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court: the husband charged with obtaining money through false pretences while the wife appeared for abetment to the crime.
Chief Justice Anthony Ford imposed a one-year imprisonment sentence for each accused.
But after considering their guilty plea and being first time offenders he said they seem to be decent people, with three young children, who are remorseful in what they did, he then suspended the whole sentence for two years given the couple complete 80 hours voluntary work.
The Chief Justice also told the court that the couple applied for a loan from the Westpac Bank of Tonga where they deceived the bank by submitting that the husband had a job but he never did.
View full story: http://www.matangitonga.to/article/tonga...0208.shtml
