Minister

Move To Impeach Minister Coming Fireworks in Tonga

From Our Own Correspondent

Nukualofa, July 4.

JUST now, there is marked tension in the official and political atmosphere in Tonga.

Developments since the Treasury fiasco, when it was accidentally found that a young Tongan Government clerk, Uliti Balu, had been filching Govern ment funds systematically over a period of four years, indicate that conflicting political forces are interrupting the wonted smooth operation of the machine of Government.

The Privy Council, which is supposed to consider the Estimates for the imme diate financial year prior to introduction in Parliament, has ceased to function since last March. It is some time, too, since the last meeting of the Cabinet was held; and Parliament, which gen erally commences to sit during June, has not yet been summoned.

Apart from general inconvenience, the non-operation of the functions of the Privy Council has drawn attention to the extraordinary delay in giving a de cision on an appeal from the. Land Court in a dispute over the Noble title “Niukabu”.

The case was decided in 1937 by the previous Chief Justice, Mr. R. Hyne, who gave judgment in favour of the de fendant. But Privy Council, which in cluded the present Chief Justice, Mr. W.

H. Stuart, reversed this decision in 1938, on an appeal by the claimant. Early in 1939, the defendant, represented by a New Zealand lawyer, Mr. A. G. Lowe, who is secretary and also legal adviser to the Tongan Government, lodged a counter appeal against Privy Council’s decision, on the ground that there had been some technical error in the passing of the law, which empowered Privy Council to permit, in the first instance, the claim ant to make his claim, although he was debarred by the 10 years’ limitation of action as set out in the land law.

As the case is in the nature of a test case, and its result will materially af fect the positions of some of the Nobles in the land, the delay in the decision of Privy Council is causing concern and anxiety.

It is predicted that the coming ses sion of Parliament will be full of “fire works”. One of the Parliamentary rep resentatives, J. Mataele. has formally served notice of impeachment on the Minister for Finance, Mr. W. G. Bag nail, of alleged maladministration, in competency and breach of certain laws and civil service regulations.

This is the culmination of serious public criticisms directed against the Minister, as a result of the theft of Treasury funds by Uliti.

These charges may cause a political upheaval, because the Minister counts as friends some of the highest and most influential persons in political circles,, in which he, himself, enjoys a strong and influential position—a position never attained by any European in the Ton gan Government service, since the de portation from Tonga of the notorious