DPF at http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2010/11/democracy_in_tonga.html#comment-770306 Kiwiblog managed to piss me off this morning. Not because of anything he had written but because he pointed out the small move towards democracy that has just occurred in Tonga.
Tonga has been on my radar for some time now ever since the sinking of the MV Princess Ashika. The author of that disaster is Lord Ramsay Dalgety a law lord in Tonga ( Tongan title ). I have nothing but disgust for the role that Dalgety played in that.
From the Otago Daily Times.
“Lord Ramsay Dalgety, secretary of Tonga’s Shipping Corporation of Polynesia Ltd, was arrested today, after leaving the royal commission of inquiry into the sinking of the Princess Ashika ferry, and the deaths of at least 74 people.
The Matangi Tonga newspaper in Nuku’alofa reported there was “a bit of verbal exchange” between Lord Dalgety, the police who arrested him, his co-commissioner at the Tonga Electricity Commission Kafu Afeaki, and his counsel Stanley Afeaki”
I was delighted at his arrest and expected him to spend a considerable amount of time in gaol for his part in the killing of 74 people.
“Yesterday, Electricity Commissioner Tapu Panuve began crying when he was confronted with evidence that suggested public funds had been used for private travels by Lord Dalgety, who is also chairman of Tonga’s Electricity Commission. The inquiry had learned from Lord Dalgety’s own evidence that he travelled up to five times a year, financed by the Electricity Commission, and how it was his habit to travel first class wherever possible.”
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/95452/lord-dalgety-arrested-outside-ferry-inquiry
Tonga is not a wealthy nation yet this guy ran up huge bills living in luxury all around the world as a director of the Polynesian Shipping Company and as a director of the Tongan Electricity Commission. His expenses in a couple of years would have bought the people of Tonga a sea worthy vessel rather than the rust bucket Princess Ashika.
I spent a good deal of yesterday evening seething about Dalgety when I spotted this in Matangi Tonga.
http://www.matangitonga.to/article/tonganews/politics/20101125_tonga_nobles_election.shtml
“THREE of the king’s Law Lords: Lord Tufui, Lord Tupou and Lord Dalgety, cast their votes for the first time at the 2010 Nobles Election this morning, together with about 19 of Tonga’s traditional nobles who were present to cast their votes at the Palace Office in Nuku’alofa between 10:00 – 11:00am”
DPF made a comment about Dalgety on his blog after I had had a rant about Dalgety that enraged me more
“Even worse Lord Dalgety is now the Lord Chancellor in charge of judicial nominees. I have only heard bad things about that man.”
Typical David Farrar he is better bloody informed than me about a man I have been watching closely. Dalgety might have escaped justice but he will not escape further scrutiny from maritime people such as myself. I think it would be reasonable to ask to make aid money to Tonga from New Zealand contingent on this bastard facing justice. 74 people are dead and the King of Tonga doesn’t give a shit and has appointed the most venal corrupt man in his Kingdom to head the nations judiciary.
My comment at Kiwiblog
“How on earth 33 people getting to appoint 9 representatives is some how democratic is beyond me. Tonga has a long way to go before it can call itself a democracy. At the moment it is little more than a banana “republic” well monarchy”
Dalgety
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