Tonga ferry cover-up denied

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A senior Tongan official denies that inaccurate immigration records were produced to hide travel links between Prime Minister Feleti Sevele and the purchase of ferry Princess Ashika.

A Royal Commission of Inquiry investigating the sinking continued sitting this week, after a two week adjournment.

The 37-year-old ferry sank north of Nuku'alofa on August 5 with the loss of 74 people.

It had been inspected in Suva, Fiji, and purchased between March and May this year by failed New Zealand businessman John Jonesse, who was CEO of the state-owned Shipping Corporation of Polynesia (SCP).

A Royal Commission of Inquiry has heard evidence that he claimed the ship was seaworthy, despite extensive corrosion.

SCP has suspended Jonesse but the Royal Commission is examining the role of the Tongan prime minister in Ashika's purchase and operation.

A senior Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Tonga official, Leonaitasi Kuluni, had been summonsed to produce evidence of Jonesse's and Sevele's travels to Fiji.

However, his evidence and documents did not show the arrivals and departures of both men, drawing a rebuke from Commission Chairman Justice Warwick Andrew, who pointed to possible penalties he could face.

Counsel assisting the commission, Manuel Varitimos, put it to Kuluni that the Immigration Department had no accurate records.

He agreed.

"Or alternatively, the Immigration Department is producing deliberately inaccurate records," Varitimos asked.

"It's not deliberate. This is what we were working on with the computer and these are the information - the reflection of their travel movements, sir."

The commission ordered Kuluni to return to his office and get the proper data.

It was also revealed that Sevele has not cooperated with a police investigation into the sinking.

Varitimos put it to Kuluni that the prime minister had refused to provide the information.

"We did not refuse, we were seeking legal advice whilst they were requesting information from us," Kuluni said.

The department provided the requested information on Jonesse.

Kuluni said he spoke to the prime minister about the request from police and the Royal Commission for travel details.

"The prime minister was of the view that it would be best that Immigration provide [details] - that the request for travel movements of those individuals be.... individual requests rather than police coming through us," he said.

Some detail was provided to the Royal Commission revealing the prime minister returned to Tonga on April 4, May 9 and May 25. But the data did not reveal when Sevele departed or where he went.

The commission will continue to try and establish the prime minister's travel movements on Thursday.

- © Fairfax NZ News