A woman who tried to hide drugs in a nappy has been convicted in the Supreme Court of possessing methamphetamine and trying to bribe a police officer.

Ma’ata Pouono was found guilty of possession of methamphetamine and trying to bribe a member a policeman to take her home rather than take her to the Central Police Station to process her arrest.

Pouono  pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Constable Kalosi Tapueluelu told the court that on May 15 2018 he had received information that Pouono was selling methamphetamine at her home at Lapaha and that she was hiding the drug in a nappy which she kept in a rubbish bag.

A police raid on the Pouono’s house found the nappy with two packets of methamphetamine in it.

Cash totaling TP$1366 was also found.

At the time of the raid five of the accused’s eight  children were in the house. The youngest child was about two years old.

The court was told that while being escorted to Nuku’alofa, the accused said to the officers in the police vehicle: “Guys, what if you go with the money and I go back home to my children?”

Officer Tu’utafaiva replied: “No, we will finish our work on you.”

In her evidence, Pouono, who was eight months’ pregnant at the time of the arrest, said she had made TP$1000 by selling tapa cloth.

She said the drugs belonged to her husband, who was in jail. She claimed he had brought back TP$5000 from Australia and that the TP$366 was left over from that.

In his summing up, Judge Niu said he was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt, that the accused was knowingly in possession of methamphetamine.

She was found guilty on both charges.

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