Police have reopened a homicide investigation into the suspected murder of David John Robinson, more than 26 years after he was found dead on a remote beach on the West Coast.
A police car (file). (Source: 1News)
The investigation was first launched on 28 December 1998, after the 25-year-old’s body was found on a remote beach on the West Coast near Ross.
Robinson was killed around 10 days before his body was found, Detective Inspector Geoff Baber said.
During its initial investigation, police found Robinson’s possessions scattered across the beach, which suggested he had likely been staying in the area before he died.
An “extensive” investigation was launched, which saw police interview several people in the community and conduct searches of the nearby beach, bush, and river areas.
Eventually, it was “scaled back”.
Since then, the probe has “been periodically reviewed, and police continue to make additional enquiries over the years,” Barber said.
“I want David’s family and the community to know we will not give up – Police are determined to find out what happened in this small rural community shortly before Christmas over 26 years ago.”
Barber said police were canvasing the Kakapotahi area this week, with enquiries expected to continue over the coming days and weeks.
“We know people may not have wanted to previously tell us what they saw or heard, but the passing of time may have changed things for them, and they may see things differently now with regards to David and what happened to him.
“If you do know something, we encourage you to come forward and speak to us – it is not too late to provide David’s family with answers.”
Anyone with information is being asked to call 105.
Nearly a third of schools receiving free lunches from the School Lunch Collective have contacted the Ministry of Education with queries and complaints.
The ministry told RNZ it fielded 259 queries and complaints in the first two weeks of the school year. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
The ministry told RNZ it fielded 259 queries and complaints in the first two weeks of the school year, from 141 of the 466 schools the collective covered.
“This includes simple requests for information as well as feedback, both positive and negative, regarding delivery timeframes and meal quality. Queries have come from across New Zealand, with the majority from Auckland schools facing the most delays in the first two weeks of term one,” it said.
The ministry said the queries included 156 about delivery, 39 about special diet meals, six about the temperature of the meals and seven providing negative feedback about the taste of the meals.
The ministry said its service agreement with Compass Group, which was the lead for the School Lunch Collective, had stringent performance targets and contractual requirements.
However, it did not say if the group was meeting those targets and requirements, despite RNZ asking.
The School Lunch Collective last year won the contract for providing meals to secondary, intermediate and primary schools with pupils in Years 7-8 that qualified for the free lunch programme.
It told RNZ it delivered meals on time to 97 percent of schools this week. It also said had it had hired more drivers, brought in more trucks, boosted production capacity to ensure sufficient meals were prepared well in advance and added more staff to oversee special dietary needs.
It said it would not discuss whether it was meeting the terms of its contract with the Ministry of Education.
Kaitao Intermediate principal Phil Palfrey said the new lunches were not as good as the system his Rotorua school of 260 pupils previously had. He said food was very late twice in the first week of school, and there were ongoing difficulties with children refusing to eat the food and using staff time to distribute it.
Palfrey said one of the biggest challenges was simply opening the containers of hot food.
Associate Education Minister David Seymour eating a school lunch. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
“It’s really hard to get the plastic wrap off. You actually have to use scissors or something like that to get it off. If you actually got one and I said to you ‘well open it’ you’d say ‘I can’t’.”
The collective’s website featured a video showing how to pierce and remove the plastic covering from the meal trays using the forks that accompanied the meals.
Palfrey said more children refused to eat the food than previously, and that undermined the sense of community created by the previous system.
“What I’ve been very keen on right from the very start was that the lunches get distributed, hot and piping, and the kids have karakia, sit down together and communicate and have a really nice 10 minutes before they go out to lunch – and that same sense of community doesn’t seem to be there right now because so many kids are not eating it.
“It just doesn’t work the same as it did before. Before, there might have been one or two kids who didn’t eat it but now it’s too many and it’s lost its way. I’m pretty unhappy.
“We had a great system before… it was just great and now we’ve got this.”
Vaughan Couillault from Papatoetoe High School said initial delivery problems at his school had not recurred. He said he was eating the food so he knew what was going on, and said many of the complaints about it were caused by its appearance.
“It’s mostly about the size of the packaging and it needing to be smaller which squishes everything in,” he said.
“The re-thermalising of the mac’n’cheese is proving problematic because it looks quite odd, but tastes okay. There’s a range of meals on offer and not every one is going to be your favourite every day, but our’s are getting consumed, it’s fine.”
Couillault said favourite meals among students appeared to include meatballs and butter chicken, while a recent vegetable lasagna had not proved popular.
Andrew King from the Rural School Leaders Association said its members had noticed an improvement in deliveries.
“What I’m hearing is that it definitely has improved. The issue was there were lunches arriving way too early and way too late or not at all. There are still a few cases of ‘not at all’ every now and then but there’s definitely a reduction in issues around lateness and being too early.”
COMMENTARY – A recent report indicating a judge’s concern about a missing file from the court registry added to a growing list of long-standing issues related to the performance of specific Ministries that have been worrying some court judges.
Minister for Justice Mo’ale Finau. Photo/Fale Alea ‘o Tonga
In his decision earlier this month to set aside a court order he had previously announced regarding a dispute between the Tonga Development Bank and media whistle-blowers, Lord Chief Justice Malcolm Bishop turned the spotlight on the court’s filing system.
He noted that there have been instances where important legal documents have gone missing or been misfiled, raising questions about the efficiency and effectiveness of the current process.
In his decision, Mr Bishop said:
“… there is some dispute or least difficulty about matter but having regard to the unfortunate circumstance that documents filed sometimes go astray in the present State Of the registry”.
The document in question was a response submitted by one of the accused addressing the TDB’s allegations against him. Due to the absence of this document, the Chief Justice previously imposed more than a million fine on the accused after he allegedly failed to submit a reply within the stipulated timeframe.
However, the accused disputed the decision and submitted an affidavit to prove he had filed his response on time, and the Chief Justice finally agreed.
Mr Bishop’s concern is only the tip of the iceberg, indicating a much deeper problem within the government ministries and departments. Therefore, it is pertinent to look at a selection of the issues that have been reported in the media previously.
We previously reported concerns raised by a former Chief Justice regarding the Ministry of Transport’s issuance of a driver’s license under the table to a disabled young man. The disabled, while driving his car, struck a mother, resulting in her death.
Police performance challenged
As Kaniva News reported previously, Justice Nicholas Cooper had been concerned about the police’s failure to disclose what appeared to be names of drug ringleaders listed in “note books” confiscated during a drug bust.
He was concerned about the police failing to submit to court the list to assist in his decision making.
He described Laimani’s case as very serious, and “it was large scale commercial supply” of drugs. He said, “ the presence of a firearm in the context of this drug dealing I consider a serious aggravating feature”.
Ministry Lands staff
We also previously reported that the Land Court of Tonga has ruled that the Minister for Lands was incorrect in refusing to rectify a mistake made by his office on a land deed.
In that case, it was claimed that the Ministry of Lands mishandled files and only found a minor mistake they overlooked when confronted with them in court.
The court ruled in favour of the client, however, the judges expressed concerns regarding the inability to resolve such a minor issue at the Ministry level. This failure to address the matter adequately escalated to the judicial system, ultimately imposing a financial burden on the taxpayers.
The judges’ remarks reflect growing frustration within the community, including Tongans in the diaspora, about persistent problems in maintaining accurate and accessible court files.
The Ministry of Lands is commonly associated with issues related to missing files and inadequate record-keeping, which have resulted in various ongoing challenges.
Police Records unlawfully cleared
As reported in 2013, 172 former criminals in Tonga had their records wiped by police officers.
Tonga police had created the scheme to dishonestly clear former records of criminals who had wanted to allow them to apply for visas for overseas travel.
The then Police Commissioner Grant O’Fee made a quick turnaround of the police record keeping and said:
“We’ve put new locks on doors, we are in the throes of replacing filing cabinets and ensuring that it is physically locked away. The staff – the young staff that work in that office are very good people – and I am working very, very closely with the New Zealand and the Australian High Commissions to ensure that they get all the information that I have got. I have done everything that is humanly possible to ensure it does not happen again, but I am not going to use the word guarantee.”
Eke review policy
The Eke government is currently conducting reviews of all ministries and departments.
It was to ensure each ministry was functioning properly and delivering intended outcomes in line with government goals.
However, it has also been indicated that the objectives included reviewing to identify potential deficiencies that allegedly pertained to mismanagement and the abuse of authority.
Establishing guidelines for thoroughly investigating and tracing all instances of reported mismanagement highlighted in the media is essential.
This program should document each case and analyse the context, patterns, and consequences of the mismanagement.
By doing so, it can identify systemic issues, hold those responsible accountable, and implement necessary reforms to prevent future occurrences.
A transparent and accountable approach will enhance public trust and ensure that the concerns raised by the media are addressed effectively.
A Tongan mat weaver has been accused of deceiving customers out of thousands of dollars by failing to deliver a highly sought-after ta’ovala.
Emeline Nuku. Photo/Kepilini Masoe
‘Emeline Nuku of Tonga’s Tokomololo village had promised Kepilini Masoe’s daughter that she could weave the ta’ovala, a piece of matting worn round the waist over one’s loin cloth.
She was contacted following the advertisement of her weaving services, known on Facebook as Lalanga Taovala Aunoa.
Kepilini, a Tongan New Zealand-based resident, agreed with Nuku through Kepilini’s daughter to proceed with the deal.
Kepilini claimed the ta’ovala was worth $5,000, and they agreed to pay Nuku $3000 in advance.
Nuku must finish weaving the ta’ovala before the Masoes would pay off the balance, according to Kepilini.
She claimed that at one stage, after the first payment, Nuku asked her daughter for the remaining $2,000 while she was working on finishing off the ta’ovala. However, Kepilini intervened, reminding her daughter that was not the agreed deal.
“I wanted to confirm that the ta’ovala has been properly woven before settling the remaining balance,” she told Kaniva News.
When the frustrated Masoes began to chase her, Nuku repeatedly lied to cover her tracks – even once pretending she was leaving for Vava’u islands to see her mum as she was sick.
The last time they contacted Nuku, she told Kepilini the weaving of the ta’ovala was completed, and she could come and pick it up from her residence.
Kepilini sent her sister-in-law to pick it up, but Nuku told the woman that the ta’ovala was being held in a loan service as collateral for a loan.
Kepilini expressed her surprise and disbelief, “stating that she has never encountered a woman who lies with such audacity and skill”.
She said that she subsequently became aware of some customers in New Zealand who had been “fobbed off” by Nuku.
Nuku could not be reached for comment. She has also locked her Facebook page, making it inaccessible to where she advertised her services.
A chaotic punch-up among women on a street in Tonga has been captured on video.
The footage, which appeared to have been taken from inside a vehicle before being shared on Facebook, shows about a dozen women throwing punches at each other, resulting in some falling to the ground.
They proceeded to attack each other numerous times for around 20 seconds before some men rushed in, trying to diffuse the situation.
Kaniva News could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
The viral footage has drawn significant attention, prompting discussions about the underlying issues contributing to the confrontation.
Some were guessing about the identity of the women.
“It is because they missed their Valentines”, a commenter wrote in Tongan.
“They were workers at Luna’eva”, one commenter wrote.
“They appeared to be people leaving the Tonga High School in-house athletic competition”, another wrote.
An investigation is currently underway into the suspected suicide of a female teenager at Tatakamotonga.
Tonga Police said they responded to a report of the 15-year-old female teenager’s death.
“While police investigation remains ongoing to establish further details surrounding this incident, we extend our condolences to the family during this difficult time to find comfort in their tragic loss”, a statement said.
If you’re struggling with suicide, you are not alone. There are always people who can help. 1 free helplines are available in Tonga for anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts. If you’re feeling any of the following, reach out and talk to someone who understands and can help.
Looking up information about how to kill yourself
Having urges to hurt yourself
Thinking about killing yourself
Feeling a deep sense of loneliness or isolation
Thinking that the world would be better off without you
Feeling like your own health and wellbeing no longer matter
Fascination with the concept of death and dying
Not wanting to be alive anymore
Experiencing suicidal feelings is a response to intense emotional pain that feels impossible to escape from. It’s not uncommon to feel that nothing can be solved when you’re emotionally overwhelmed. However, with the right support, you can end your emotional suffering without having to end your life.
You may be concerned that nobody will understand what you’re going through, but helpline volunteers in Tonga are specially trained to offer support to people in an emotional crisis. There is no right or wrong way to talk about suicidal feelings. Reaching out for help is what counts.
Consider contacting a hotline in Tonga right away for free, private help with suicide – 08004444
Four Tongan cousins who tragically lost their lives in a vehicle crash in the United States in 2013 were honoured on the 12th anniversary of the incident.
Maria Moa, 17, David Moa, 19, George Moa 19, and Rachel Fisiiahi, 19, were pronounced dead after a solo-vehicle crash around on state Highway 58 just north of California City, according to the Kern County coroner’s office.
Reports said at the time, there were five people in the car, with the sole survivor a male passenger who was taken to Antelope Valley Hospital in Lancaster, according to coroner’s officials.
The cousins were returning home after a weekend spent attending a rugby match in Las Vegas when George Moa lost consciousness while driving, resulting in a collision that caused the vehicle to overturn.
Their memory was celebrated by family and friends, reflecting on the impact they had on their loved ones and the community.
The St Benedict Church in Oakland, California, celebrated the anniversary.
“Over 10 years now but forever remembered. Forever loved. May you continue to rest peacefully”.
Taufa Moa also shared the church’s tribute.
“Happy 12 years anniversary in paradise our beloved children! happy valentines too!!! umaaa atu ki si’o mou ngaahi fofonga takitaha si’emau fanau pele hoko atu aa si’omou mohe until we meet again!”
Commentary – Tonga must maintain a firm stance of vigilance in light of the recent cyber-attacks on Samoa, which have been attributed to the China-backed APT40 hacking group.
The incident in Samoa follows the ransomware attack experienced by Tonga Communications Corporation (TCC), the state-owned telecommunications provider, in the year 2023.
At the time, TCC reportedly said:
“Ransomware attack has been confirmed to encrypt and lock access to part of TCC’s system. This does not affect voice and internet service delivery to the customers, however, it may slow down the process of connecting new customers, delivering of bills and managing customers’ enquiries.”
TCC controls all fixed telephone lines and has a 70 per cent market share of dial-up and broadband internet.
It managed about half of the mobile phone services through its UCall service.
The Medusa ransomware group took credit for the attack on TCC, according to Cybersecurity expert Dominic Alvieri.
Sources claimed Medusa is known for attacking healthcare, manufacturing, and education sectors. They have also targeted the government and finance sectors.
Pacific Islands Forum attack
The Pacific Islands Forum Fiji’s-based offices were victims of a cyber security attack last year.
China had been blamed for the damage.
However, Media outlet Global Times reported China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning as saying at the time the claim that it was involved in a cyber attack on the Forum is “politically motivated disinformation”.
Samoa Cyber Attack
An ABC report this afternoon said Samoa’s government has blamed the Chinese state-backed hacking group for a series of sophisticated cyber attacks,
It said the group has been conducting “malicious cyber operations against government and key critical infrastructure system” across the Pacific.
Australian Strategic Policy Institute analyst Blake Johnson said that APT40 typically “infiltrates networks and stays hidden for potentially quite some time” as it tries to siphon valuable intelligence back to the Chinese government.
Australia and key intelligence partners previously accused the Chinese group of conducting a wide-scale cyber espionage operation in the continent.
Australian experts say APT 40 has targeted regional government and private sector networks by infiltrating devices.
“By staying hidden it can regularly monitor activity, collect data and explore through the network to try to identify higher-value targets, like potentially senior government accounts that may contain sensitive government or personal information that could be used to China’s advantage,” he told the ABC.
The ABC said the Samoan report marks the first time a Pacific island nation has issued a public advisory which attributes cyber espionage to a Chinese government-linked group.
The ABC approached the Chinese Embassy in Samoa for comment but hasn’t yet received a response.
Tonga vulnerability
A 2016 research project undertaken in Tonga showed that the kingdom’s computer systems are susceptible and can be easily exploited by cybercriminals.
Dr Siuta Laulaupea’alu raised concerns in the project about how organizations and government departments in Tonga, as well as the general public, can effectively prepare for the anticipated rise in cybercrime and cyberattacks in the Pacific region.
Laulaupea’alu recommended that the government of Tonga start implementing measures to address the security weaknesses in their systems.
“Failure to act quickly on these vulnerabilities will lead to a higher number and greater depth of cybersecurity attacks.”
The government of the Solomon Islands is investigating allegations of potential manipulation of the voting process for the winners of the Miss Pacific Islands pageant 2025.
Miss Pacific Island Pageant Head Judge, Leiataualesa Jerry Brunt. Photo/Samoa Observer
Litara Ieremia-Allan of Samoa was crowned Miss Pacific Islands 2025, while the first runner-up was awarded to Racheal Guttenbeil of Tonga.
However, the regional beauty contest turned controversial after Tongan judge Ma’ata Mo’ungaloa Tupou confronted the Head Judge Leiataualesa Jerry Brunt following the winner’s announcement, accusing him of altering the original score sheet before handing it over to the Masters of Ceremony for the final announcement.
The allegations forced the Solomon Islands government, which invested $2 million in hosting the competition, to issue a “stop order” against Mr Brunt and another judge from Vanuatu, preventing them from leaving the country on Monday.
Brunt, a Samoan lawyer and hotelier with years of experience in the pageant responded to the accusations and denied any wrongdoing.
“I can honestly tell you that I don’t even know where that allegation came from,” Brunt alleged.
“It’s impossible for me to rig any scoresheets in front of thousands of eyes. God is my witness.”
The departure prohibition order against him had been lifted on Wednesday, according to Samoa Observer, saying Brunt flew out of Honiara this afternoon (Wednesday) en route to Brisbane then Auckland New Zealand where he will catch the final flight to his homeland.
“He submitted his statement early this morning and affidavit in response to what was requested from the government of Solomon Islands,” his wife told Samoa Observer.
Brunt also demanded an apology from the Tonga government, saying the allegations had damaged his reputation.
Meanwhile, one of the scrutineers of the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant, Pamela Naesol, refuted claims of result tampering.
“I want to assure everyone that there was no tampering or rigging of the results,” she reportedly told media.
Vote tampering
The director of the Miss Solomon Islands Pageant told RNZ Pacific that the controversy regarding the 2025 Miss Pacific Islands Pageant is currently with the Solomon Islands government amid ongoing investigations into allegations of vote rigging.
A Solomon Islands senior minister told Solomon Star the government took the matter seriously.
“There is a high probability of vote tampering, which could amount to fraud. We have substantial evidence following an initial investigation,” the minister stated.
The minister reportedly said the government acted after receiving numerous complaints.
A security guard working at the Tonga Higher Education Institute (TIHE) has been sentenced to jail after police discovered drugs in his possession.
Falakiko Uatahausi
Falakiko Uatahausi pleaded guilty to one count of possession of 1.33g of methamphetamine and one count of unlawful possession of utensils.
The Lord Chief Justice Malcolm Bishop sentenced him to 12 months, with the last six months being suspended.
The court was told that Uatahausi was caught red-handed while being in a vehicle parked near TIHE.
He was in the driver seat near one of the shelters, and when approached by the police, illicit drugs were found in the vehicle, together with a smoking pipe.
Mr Bishop said: “Methamphetamine is a scourge in the kingdom of Tonga. It fosters crime destroys lives, places in intolerable burden on the health care service and the court must do all they can to stamp it out”.
The Judge acknowledged Uatahausi’s decision to plead guilty at the earliest opportunity.
Mr Bishiop also noted that for the last 20 years, he has seemingly stayed clear of trouble, especially with regard to drug-related offences.
The court judgment revealed that Uatahausi has a history of possessing illicit drugs, dating back to September 5, 2005, when he was convicted of unlawful possession of illicit drugs, which resulted in a two-month suspended sentence.
“Sadly you have now re-offended”.
Announcing his sentence, Mr Bishop said: “I take your case starting point at 18 months’ imprisonment, which I reduced by six months to take account of your mitigating factors as already outlined. [12months]
“Count 2 is a less serious offence and the sentence there is six months concurrent”.
The six months suspension conditions included
a. He must not commit any offence punishable by imprisonment
b. He will be placed under Probation for the period of your suspended sentence
c. He must report to the probation office within 48 hours of your release from custody
d. He must complete a drugs and alcohol course at the direction of the Probation Officer during the suspension period.
