Английская Википедия:Havea Hikuleʻo ʻoPulotu

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Файл:Lord Lasike 2021 (cropped).jpg
Lasike in 2021

Havea HikuleШаблон:Okinao Шаблон:OkinaoPulotu, Lord Lasike, is a former Speaker of the Tongan Legislative Assembly.

Political career

Lasike was first elected to the Tongan Legislative Assembly, as a representative of the nobility, in a by-election in 2005, following Lord Nuku's appointment to Cabinet.[1] He was re-elected in the 2008 elections[2] and again in 2010. In March 2006, he was charged with rape and indecent assault,[3][4] after an incident involving an employee of a hotel he part-owns, but was acquitted.[5]

On 21 December 2010, Lasike was elected Speaker of the House.[6]

Conviction and removal

On 19 April 2011 Lasike was charged with unlawful possession of ammunition following a search of his hotel room in Nuku'alofa. Other firearms charges were dismissed.[7] On 14 October he failed to appear in court, and a warrant was issued for his arrest,[8] but later cancelled after he appeared.[9]

In December, Chief Justice Michael Scott issued a new warrant for his arrest, finding that he had breached the conditions of his bail. He had been granted permission to travel to Israel as part of a parliamentary delegation, but had instead flown to the United States, where he had reportedly got married.[10][11] Prime Minister [[Lord TuШаблон:Okinaivakano]] called upon Lord Lasike to resign as Speaker.[12] In mid-January, Lasike returned to Tonga, and was immediately arrested and taken to court, where his passport was taken from him.[13] He was also criticised for having "abandoned" the delegation he was supposed to have led in Israel, thus jeopardising a mission said to be important for Tonga's diplomatic and economic relations with the country.[14] Having pleaded not guilty to the count of illegal possession of two .22 ammunitions, he was tried in early July. His counsel was Clive Edwards.[15]

On 9 July 2012, Lasike was convicted of illegally possessing ammunition and fined US$280.[16] As a result, he automatically forfeited his seat in Parliament.[17] Lord Nuku was elected his seat in [[2012 Шаблон:OkinaEua Noble by-election|a by-election]].[18] In October, Lasike was acquitted on appeal; the Court of Appeal ruled that the Crown prosecution had not proved that Lasike had been aware that the incriminating ammunition was in his possession.[19] Lasike immediately announced that he would challenge his dismissal from Parliament.[20]

References

Шаблон:Reflist