editor

Tonga

Ban on

The Tonga Supreme Court has issued a permanent injunction against the editor and publisher of the Kele'a newsletter, 'Akilisi Pohiva, restraining him from publishing any information about any accounts held with the Tonga Development Bank. Fhe injunction also covers any business dealings or arrangements between the Tonga Development Bank and any of its customers except when prior consent is

given by the bank or its customers.

The bank had sought the court injunction following articles published in hele’a in January 1992 which gave details of accounts which some customers had with the bank. Pohiva is a member of the Tongan Legislature and a pro-democracy activist. He was also ordered by the Supreme Court to identify the person who leaked the information about the bank to the newsletter.

The bank claimed the in-

formation was confidential and therefore could not be published. The court turned down the development bank s claim for damages saying it had not suffered any loss, but ordered Pohiva to pay the bank’s court costs. Meanwhile, Pacific Islands News Association is closely monitoring developments in Tonga which could have grave repercussions on freedom of expression and the public’s right to know.

Pohiva: gagged