A New Zealand resident has been charged in connection with the death of a Nakolo man in December.
‘Esilani Latu’s body was found on Hala Liku between Nakolo and Fua’amotu, in Hahake.
Police have charged a New Zealand driver who is currently in Tonga in relation to Latu’s death.
No detail was provided about the suspect.
The 21-year-old deceased allegedly died from his injuries, which police had described at the time as being consistent with being struck by a vehicle.
His body was found on Hala Liku Road between Nakolo and Fua’amotu.
A Police statement said a post-mortem report confirmed that the young man was run over by a car.
However, the police were not so sure if this was the cause of death.
Investigation
Meanwhile, the Police said they were investigating a video being circulated on social media to determine its “validity, origin and context”.
“Tonga Police is assuring the public that they are working diligently to uncover the facts surrounding the video”, Police said.
It warned that posting electronic communication that causes harm is an offence.
They urged the public to refrain from sharing “unconfirmed information”.
The video
As Kaniva News reported yesterday, an unverified video circulating on Facebook has garnered significant attention from the Tongan online community.
The footage, seen by Kaniva News, purportedly depicted an unsettling incident where a man is seen being overpowered by another while allegedly being coerced into speaking against his will.
The 10-second video clip appeared to show a man physically dominating a victim, who seemed visibly distressed, resistant and screaming.
An individual is overheard asking questions of the victim, though the content of his words is unclear due to the video’s poor audio quality.
Kaniva News was unable to verify the authenticity of the footage.
The video evoked emotional responses from viewers, prompting speculation about the possible motives behind this act, leading to many theories online.
On the most extreme end, some commenters suggested, without evidence, that the video was purported to show the last moments before Latuu’s death.
