The men accused of murdering the US based Tongan Sione Feimoefiafi are scheduled to make their first appearance in the Fasi Magistrate Court at Nukua’alofa on Monday next week.
Feimoefiafi, 49, arrived in Tonga in early January to attend his father’s funeral. He was beaten during a brawl inside Tali’eva bar on Monday 4. He died in hospital later that evening.
Police arrested the accused the following day.
The five suspects, aged between 39 and 51, remain in police custody while investigations continue.
The tragic death of Feimoefiafi has sent shock waves throughout Tonga and the Tongan international community.
From the moment Feimoefiafi was shown being beaten in a viral video clip to today’s court decision for his accused’s court appearance date, people have become obsessed with the life of Feimoefiafi especially with what had been documented about him on Facebook.
Dozens of public and private groups are now dedicated to the murder.
A public group called Must Be Tongan has 120,393 followers. Another has nearly 17,000.
Feimoefiafi painted a portrait of the perfect family man on social media. Homemade videos and photos he and others had posted show what seemed to be an outgoing and light-hearted man.
“….We have a 19-day fast which end right now. We are heading out right now to eat some good food somewhere,” he said while making fun with his children in one of his Facebook live videos.
