Tonga breach of curfew fines set aside

A group of four people fined for breaching the Covid-19 curfew in Tonga back in May, have had their convictions set aside.

Matangi Tonga reported the four were arrested inside a private home at Houma and fined $US426 dollars each under the Emergency Act in the Magistrate's Court in July.

The group appealed on the grounds that the court had not referred to evidence which showed they were not on the street at the time, but inside a friend's house.

The Lord Chief Justice, Michael Whitten, set the magistrate's decision aside while the Crown also conceded there had been no breach of curfew because the appellants were inside a private home.