This is despite him issuing a provisional certificate of survey last July 3 which effectively declared the boat seaworthy. Asked if he would have let his family to sail on the vessel, Mr Tu'ipulotu said he would not have let his family on the boat. The commission heard that on July 1 he had decided the MV Princess Ashika was unsafe for Tongan waters. It also heard that Mr Tu'ipulotu and a team of surveyors looked at the ship the following day and found a litany of defects. These included the leaking bow and stern ramps. Mr Tu'ipulotu agreed he had issued a false certificate but denied that the certificate he issued was false but also denied he had been given an inducement to do so. However, although there were a long list of deficiencies discovered by him and the survey team, the MV Princess Ashika made its first trip in Tonga on July 3 with nothing on the boat being fixed. The commission heard that this action had angered one of the surveyors who wanted the vessel stopped. He told the surveyor to go ahead but failed to follow up this himself. The commission heard that even though the ship was berthed within five minuets of his office on three separate occasions before the fatal voyage he took no action to ensure the deficiencies were fixed eTonga Tonga News