Tongan petition calls for probe into PM and ministers

A petition has been submitted to Tonga's Speaker calling for an investigation into the Prime Minister and members of his cabinet for allegedly breaching the constitution.

A copy of the petition, which contained 3330 signatures, was also delivered to the King.

A member of a committee behind the petition, Mele 'Amanaki, presented a copy to the Speaker of the House, Lord Fakafanua on Wednesday.

Matangi Tonga reports it was endorsed by 'Eua MP and one-time Finance Minister Tevita Lavemaau.

The petition names seven ministers including Prime Minister 'Akilisi Pohiva and alleges they breached the Constitution as well as other laws, saying they are not trustworthy to govern.

The petition also accuses them of bad governance and misuse of government properties and taxpayers money.

It calls for parliament, which opened today, to postpone deliberations on the new 2018-19 budget, so that an audit can be carried out.

Lord Fakafanua says it is a Constitutional right to petition parliament and he will look into the issues concerned, and according to parliament regulations determine the next step.