Two Tongan MPs, one the former prime minister and the other a serving cabinet minister, have lost their seats in Parliament.
Former PM, Pohiva Tu'i'onetoa, and the minister for Internal Affairs, Sangster Saulala, have been convicted of bribing voters during the election campaign period in November last year
Pohiva Tu'i'onetoa Photo: Government of Tonga
Tu'i'onetoa lost his election petition on Friday and Saulala's election to the Tongatapu No.7 people's representative was declared void by the Chief Justice today.
Our Tonga correspondent Kalafi Moala said the former prime minister's bribing was particularly blatant.
He denied he'd given $50,000 Tonga pa'anga to a craft group but the court had video evidence showing the bribery.
"Not only that but there were also gifts that were given. Monetary gifts, gifts with food items given to people in the election to influence them in voting for them. That applied, the same thing, the giving of gifts, applied to Mr Sangster Saulala as well," Kalafi Moala said.
In total seven MPs are facing acccusations of bribery over the election, with four more cases to be decided this week.
One MPs has so far been exonerated by the Supreme Court.
