Sione Vuna Faʻotusia
Tongan politician (1953-2021) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sione Vuna Faʻotusia (24 February 1953 – 29 August 2021)[1] was a Tongan politician, Cabinet Minister, and Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga who served as the deputy prime minister of Tonga from 2019 to 2020.
Sione Vuna Faʻotusia | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Faʻotusia in 2020 | |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Tonga | |
| In office 10 October 2019 – 14 December 2020 | |
| Prime Minister | Pōhiva Tuʻiʻonetoa |
| Preceded by | Semisi Sika |
| Succeeded by | Lord Maʻafu |
| Minister for Justice and Prisons | |
| In office 30 December 2014 – 14 December 2020 | |
| Prime Minister | ʻAkilisi Pōhiva Semisi Sika (Acting) Pōhiva Tuʻiʻonetoa |
| Preceded by | Clive Edwards (Justice) Pōhiva Tuʻiʻonetoa (Prisons) |
| Succeeded by | Samiu Vaipulu |
| Member of the Tongan Parliament for Tongatapu 7 | |
| In office 27 November 2014 – 29 August 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Sione Sangster Saulala |
| Succeeded by | Sione Sangster Saulala |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 February 1953 |
| Died | 29 August 2021 (aged 68) Auckland, New Zealand |
| Political party | Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands People's Party |
Personal life
Faʻotusia received a Bachelor of Laws from the University of New South Wales Faculty of Law, a Master's degree from the London School of Economics, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice.[2]
Prior to entering politics Faʻotusia was a member of the Tongan Public Servants Association[3] and chair of its strike committee during the 2005 Tongan public service strike.[4] From 2006 to 2008, he was Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Justice. He later moved to private practice.[2] He was counsel to the Shipping Corporation of Polynesia Ltd, owners of the MV Princess Ashika.[5]
In January 2019 Faʻotusia was charged with wrongful interference with the course of justice and using threatening language in a dispute over a stolen cow.[6] In December 2019 he was acquitted after a judge found there was insufficient evidence.[7] An appeal by the crown saw the case return to the Supreme Court in December 2020.[8]
Faʻotusia married for the first time after his 67th birthday. He died on 29 August 2021, in Auckland, New Zealand.[9][10][11]
Political career
Faʻotusia was elected as a Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands (DPFI) candidate at the 2014 Tongan general election and appointed as Minister of Justice in the cabinet of ʻAkilisi Pōhiva. He was re-elected in the 2017 Tongan general election and reappointed to Cabinet.[12] As Justice Minister Fa'otusia appointed the first Tongan judge to the Supreme Court of Tonga in over a hundred years, and aims to have an all-Tongan Court by 2020.[13] He has also publicly supported capital punishment.[14]
Following the death of ʻAkilisi Pōhiva, Faʻotusia supported Pōhiva Tuʻiʻonetoa for Prime Minister, leaving the DPFI to join Tuʻiʻonetoa's new People's Party.[15] He was appointed to Tuʻiʻonetoa's Cabinet as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Justice and Prisons.[16]
In December 2020 he joined other PTOA members in signing a motion of no confidence against Prime Minister Tuʻiʻonetoa.[17] He subsequently resigned as a Minister.[18][19]
References
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