The late King Tupou IV has  been implicated in the disappearance of two hired thugs who killed a Sydney horse trainer in 1984.

(L-R) Bill Waterhouse and late King Taufa’āhau Tupou IV

Corrupt Australian bookmaker Bill Waterhouse, who died in 2019, is accused by his son David of organising an assault on Sydney horse trainer George Brown.

The two Tongan men sent to assault and tortured Brown, broke his legs, murdered him and then incinerated him in his car.

David Waterhouse made a statement to New South Wales police which has now been widely circulated in the  media.

In it he claimed the two murderers had “disappeared” after returning to Tonga.

He said his father had told him: “I got the King to take them straight back to Tonga and they’ve disappeared. They’ll never be heard of again. The Tongans cook pigs and humans in the ground.”

The New South Wales racing industry has had a notorious reputation for decades and New South Wales police have also been the subject of investigations for corruption over the years. In 2019 New South Wales police finally issued an Aus$1 million reward for information about Brown’s murder – 35 years after it happened.

Tupou IV was no stranger to accusations of corruption and abuse of power. In 2002 the late ‘Akilisi Pohiva caused an uproar when he claimed that Tupou IV had a secret overseas bank account containing at least $848 million. The government furiously denied the claim.

However, New Zealand took the situation in Tonga at the time so seriously that controls were imposed on New Zealand’s annual $6 million foreign aid package to the kingdom, with then Foreign Minister Phil Goff saying it was to avoid the aid programme being “subverted by corruption.”

Tupou IV’s reign was marked by controversy, especially the selling of Tongan passports which raised tens of millions of dollars which then largely vanished from public view.

The king became friends with Bill Waterhouse when was studying law at Sydney University.

Also studying law at the time was Neville Wran, who later became premier of New South Wales. Wran fended off several media investigations into alleged corruption, but his reputation did not survive his death.

Bill later became Tonga’s consul-General in Sydney.

Tupou VI and other members of the royal family attended Waterhouse’s funeral in 2019.

For more information

Bill Waterhouse farewelled in Sydney

NZ slaps Tonga over rights

Tonga’s royal corruption

FAKAMATALA FAKATONGA NOUNOU:

Kuo ‘i ai ha fakamatala tukuaki’i mamafa ‘o e  Tu’i ‘o Tonga kuo ungafonua ko Taufa’āhau Tupou IV ka ko e ‘eiki ‘a Tupou VI kuo toki tuku ange mai he ongoongo mei ‘Aositelēlia’. Kuo tukuaki’i e tu’i’ ni ki he puli ‘osi ‘a  ha ongo tangata ne na fakahoko ha tāmate,  tukuaki’i ne ne kau ki ha tila ta’efakalao mo ta’etotonu he paasipooti, fetuku fakafufū ‘o ha monumanu mo e faito’o konatapu ko e kanapisi.

Ko hano fakahā tonu ‘eni e David Waterhouse ko e foha si’i taha ia ‘o Bill Waterhouse ko e konisela lauita’u ‘a Tonga ‘i ‘Aositelēlia ka kuo’ ne pekia’ ki he kau polisi’. Na’a’ ne pehē na’e ‘i ai ‘a e ongo Tonga ne na fakahoko ha fakapō ‘i ‘Aositelēlia hili ha tu’utu’uni ‘ene tamai’, ‘a Bill ke fakamamahi’i ‘a Brown ke totongi fakafoki ange ‘a e silini ne totongi kiate ia ke fai e fo’i ngāue ka ne ‘ikai ke ne fakahoko. Na’e pehē ‘e David ko e fakahā tonu ange ‘eni ‘e he’ene tamai ki ai he 1988 pea ne fakamanamana’i ke ‘oua na’a lea.  Kuo te’eki  fakahā ‘e he kau polisi ‘Aositelēlia’a ‘a e hingoa ‘a e ongo Tonga ko ‘eni. Ka ne mahino mei he fakamatala ‘a David ne tala ange ‘e Bill ‘oku fiemalie pe ia ‘e ‘ikai ‘ilo e fakapō ia na’e fai’ he ‘e  fakafoki ‘a e ongo tangata ia ki Tonga pea ‘e fetu’utaki pe ia kia Tupou IV ke fai ha me’a kia kinaua. ‘Oku pehē ne foki pe ongo tangata’ ki Tonga’ ‘o puli ai pe.

Ko hano tamate’i ‘eni ‘e he ongo Tonga ko ‘eni ‘a e tangata faiako ki he fanga hōsi’ ko George Brown ‘i he ‘aho 2 ‘Epeleli 1984 ‘a ia ne ne ta’u 38 he ‘aho ko ia. Na’e toki ma’u hono sino’i i ha loto kā kuo tutu ‘i ha vao ‘i Bulli Tops, tokelau ‘o Wollongong. Talu mei he ‘aho ko ia’ mo e fiu ‘a e kau polisi hono kumi  ‘a e tupu’anga ‘ene mate’ mo hai ne kaunga ki ai’ mo e ‘ikai pe ke nau ma’u.

Ne toki ‘asi hake he ongoongo ‘a ‘Aositelelia’ he ta’u kuo ‘osi’ ‘a e pehē kuo ma’u ‘e he kau fakatotolo’ ha fakamo’oni fo’ou ngali ko e mate ‘a Brown ko e ngāue ‘a ha taha pe ‘i he kau peti lova hōsi’. Pea ko ia ‘eni kuo  fakamo’oni  ki ai ‘a David  he ko ‘ene tamai’ ‘a Bill ko e taha ia e kau tu’umālie mo ‘iloa taha ‘o ‘Aositelēlia he mala’e lova hōsi’. ‘A ia ko Bill na’a’ ne tu’utu’uni ke fakahoko ha me’a kia Brown. Ka ne pehē ‘e Bill ne ‘ikai ‘uhinga ia ke tamate’i ka ne ‘ova e me’a ‘a e ongo Tonga’ ne fai ‘o na fakapoongi ia ‘enaua.

Pehē ‘e David ko ‘ene toki lava pe ‘o lea ki he me’a ni hili e mate ‘ene tamai he 2019. Ko e hili ia ha tuku atu ‘e he kau polisi’ ha me’a’ofa  $1 miliona ki ha taha te ne ma’u mai ha fakamatala ke tokoni ke ma’u ‘a kinautolu ne nau fakahoko ‘a e hia’ ni. Ko e kaungāme’a fafale ‘o Tupou IV ‘a Bill talu pe ‘ena ako ‘i ‘Aositelēlia he 70 tupu’ pea iku fakanofo ai pe ia ke konisela ma’a Tonga. Ko e ongoongo ko eni ne tuku ange mai ‘e he Herald Sun ‘a ‘Aositelēlia’ pea ko e konga ia ‘o ha tohi kuo fa’u ‘e he tangata fa’u tohi ko Andrew Rule ki he pekia ‘a Brown pea ‘oku ‘amanaki ke hifoaki ‘a e tohi’ ni he ‘aho’ ni.  ‘Oku ‘i ai e tui ‘e fakaikiiki kotoa he tohi’ ni ‘a e ngaahi tukuaki’i ko ‘eni’.