Tonga's former Minister of Transport, Paul Karalus, has failed in his application for a judicial review of the report from the Commission of Inquiry into the Princess Ashika disaster.
The Commission, which was established to investigate the sinking of the ferry and the loss of 74 lives, said Mr Karalus had knowingly provided false information to the authorities about the vessel.
The Court of Appeal judges have dismissed his appeal saying he'd failed to make an arguable case.
Mr Karalus says the ruling wasn't unexpected and he intends putting his version of the events surrounding the Ashika sinking in a book.
"The story as told in the Commission, is probably a different story then would be told if the chronology of the events that unfolded were actually adhered to. And then also too, the context was actually more thoroughly explored, and I don't think that was the role of the Commission, and as a result the Commission's finding may well be very different from what I'm proposing, particularly of my role in it."
Paul Karalus
