Havea Hikuleʻo ʻoPulotu

Havea Hikuleʻo ʻoPulotu, Lord Lasike, (1957 or 1958 — 28 May 2025)^[1] was a former Speaker of the Tongan Legislative Assembly.

Lasike in 2021

Political career

Lasike was first elected to the Tongan Legislative Assembly, as a representative of the nobility, in a by-election in 2005, following Lord Nuku's appointment to Cabinet.^[2] He was re-elected in the 2008 elections^[3] and again in 2010. In March 2006, he was charged with rape and indecent assault,^[4][5] after an incident involving an employee of a hotel he part-owns, but was acquitted.^[6]

On 21 December 2010, Lasike was elected Speaker of the House.^[7]

Conviction and removal

On 19 April 2011 Lasike was charged with unlawful possession of ammunition following a search of his hotel room in Nuku'alofa. Other firearms charges were dismissed.^[8] On 14 October he failed to appear in court, and a warrant was issued for his arrest,^[9] but later cancelled after he appealed.^[10]

In December, Chief Justice Michael Scott issued a new warrant for his arrest, finding that he had breached the conditions of his bail. He had been granted permission to travel to Israel as part of a parliamentary delegation, but had instead flown to the United States, where he had reportedly got married.^[11][12] Prime Minister Lord Tuʻivakano called upon Lord Lasike to resign as Speaker.^[13] In mid-January, Lasike returned to Tonga, and was immediately arrested and taken to court, where his passport was taken from him.^[14] He was also criticised for having "abandoned" the delegation he was supposed to have led in Israel, thus jeopardising a mission said to be important for Tonga's diplomatic and economic relations with the country.^[15] Having pleaded not guilty to the count of illegal possession of two .22 ammunitions, he was tried in early July. His counsel was Clive Edwards.^[16]

On 9 July 2012, Lasike was convicted of illegally possessing ammunition and fined US$280.^[17] As a result, he automatically forfeited his seat in Parliament.^[18] Lord Nuku was elected his seat in a by-election.^[19] In October, Lasike was acquitted on appeal; the Court of Appeal ruled that the Crown prosecution had not proved that Lasike had been aware that the incriminating ammunition was in his possession.^[20] Lasike immediately announced that he would challenge his dismissal from Parliament.^[21]