By Lauren Crimp of rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission
Police say it is possible they have uncovered a human trafficking and migrant exploitation ring in Hawke’s Bay, sparked by a “distraught” victim raising the alarm.
A 44-year-old man facing three charges of rape, and one of unlawful sexual connection, was remanded in custody and granted interim name suppression at Hastings District Court on Thursday.
He was arrested following a joint operation between Hawke’s Bay police and Immigration New Zealand, called Operation Wentworth.
The operation began when a victim contacted police “after fleeing and asking for help”, Detective Senior Sergeant Sally Patrick told RNZ.
“She was distraught,” Patrick said.
“She went to a person that she trusted, and then they phoned police and we attended straight away.”
The woman accused the man of rape, and Patrick said the other information she gave led police to believe migrant exploitation and human trafficking were also at play.
Human trafficking charges would likely be laid in the new year – but police first had to follow due process and seek the solicitor-general’s consent to lay those charges, which took some time, Patrick said.
Police “highly suspect” there were other victims – and other potential perpetrators, too, she said.
They had so far carried out three search warrants in Hawke’s Bay, and two migrants were served Deportation Liability Notices as a result.
The investigation might go outside the region, and police were “potentially” looking at a human trafficking and migrant exploitation ring, Patrick said.
“That’s why we are reaching out to any victims to get in contact, and that’s not always easy,” she said.
“The type of exploitation that they’re subjected to makes them also scared to come forward.”
That could be for a number of reasons, she said – including fears they might be deported, not having financial support, and if English was not their first language.
“We want people to know that they can come forward and police will absolutely speak to them and try and support them where we can.”
The man is due to appear in Hastings District Court again next week.
Anyone with information can contact police on 111 and quote file number 231129/1010 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, police said.
Immigration New Zealand declined to comment further, as the investigation is ongoing.
Tongan Consumer Affairs has warned the public about buying bottles of Tiger lager beer in the kingdom claiming the product’s expiry dates had been intentionally removed.
Tiger Lager Beers purchased in Tonga without expiry date labels
The authority also warned that the public be curious about buying the beer at bars and liquors and make sure they have their expiry dates on the bottles before any purchase was made.
Photos of the product shared on Consumer Affairs’ Facebook page showed labels which said the “Crystal World Acclaimed Asian Lager” was made in Singapore.
Date marks indicate how long products such as alcohol can be kept before they start to deteriorate or becomes unsafe to drink.
The warning came after the authority said yesterday an enquiry with its office led to an investigation about noodle products which a consumer wanted to know about its place of manufacture and processing.
The authority confirmed the noodle was being processed in Tonga and its packing boxes were imported from Samoa.
The Consumer Affairs also warned buyers it is their responsibilities to make sure any products they were going to purchase were still fresh and safe to consume.
A vehicle was pulled from the water at Popua Community Park on Tonga’s main island of Tongatapu.
Car being pulled from the water at Popua park. Photo/Screenshot
The white hatchback car was showed on a streamed video with registration plate number TTP2-7.
It was unclear when did the incident happen.
There were no reports of injuries.
Onlookers can be overheard saying no one was inside the car when it was pulled out of the water.
A car seat with yellow and black colours, spotted on the foreshore close to the where the car was removed, was said to be from the car in question.
The person who streamed the incident provided no further details.
The incident came after a car was pulled from the Tu’imatamoana wharf early this year following police desperate search for a missing man. Police later said at the time the body of the missing man Talanoa Leakona Lemoto was found inside the car.
One of New Zealand’s most prominent Pacific health leaders says he has “no confidence” in the Government after stepping down from almost every advisory role.
Sir Collin Tukuitonga (Source: Auckland University)
Long-standing champion for health Sir Collin Tukuitonga told RNZ Pacific he has resigned as the chairperson of Te Whatu Ora Pacific Senate, a week after the new government officially took over.
“I really don’t want to work for this Government. I have no confidence. They are not going to treat Pacific people well and I want to be free to speak up and speak out.”
Sir Collin had also stepped down from several other government advisory groups.
“I was appalled at the decision to repeal the smokefree legislation, because it is Māori and Pacific people who are going to pay the price. That really annoyed me no end.”
Sir Collin said he was unhappy with how the Government was scrapping legislation “for tax cuts,” which he believed “was immoral”.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has previously said scrapping smokefree laws would help fund tax cuts.
However, Sir Collin said disestablishing the Māori Health Authority/Te Aka Whai Ora was “pre-mature and ill-advised,” and that “Māori deserve better”.
“The Government needs to do more with and for Māori. They have some of the worst health outcomes in the country as do our [Pacific] people.”
‘Use the power of his voice to advocate for his people’
The Niuean-born New Zealand doctor, public health academic, public policy expert and advocate for reducing health inequalities of Māori and Pasifika people has been a leading force informing governments on indigenous and Pacific health needs.
He was instrumental in providing the previous government expertise during the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw Pacific people have the highest vaccination rates out of any other group.
Shane Reti. (Source: rnz.co.nz)
Minister for Health and Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti praised Sir Collin for being “one of New Zealand’s most prominent Pacific health leaders, as well as in the region and globally”.
“Collin has always been one to use the power of his voice to advocate for his people. I wish him very well for the future.”
The National Pacific Health Senate was established in March last year under the Labour-led government aimed at “providing objective, strategic advice to Te Whatu Ora and support it to deliver more equitable health outcomes for Pacific peoples.”
Tongan community leader Pakilau Manase Lua was also “appalled” by the Government’s recent decisions.
Pakilau Manase Lua (Source: Supplied)
Although he believed Reti deserved a fair go at the role, so far he was “saddened” the Government was “sending all the wrong signals”.
Pacific Senate will ‘play an important role’ for Pacific people – CEO
Sir Collin said Te Whatu Ora Pacific Senate remained unchanged and would not be disestablished, unlike the Māori Health Authority/Te Aka Whai Ora.
Chief executive Fepulea’i Margie Apa previously said the Pacific Senate would “play an important role for Pacific people, as Te Whatu Ora builds a new health system with a focus on achieving equity”.
“The group will provide clinical advice, public health advice and technical advice that is for Pacific, by Pacific.”
Twelve members are part of the National Pacific Health Senate, including Tunumafono Fa’amoetauloa Avaula Fa’amoe (MNZM), Samoan paediatrician and researcher Dr. Teuila Mary Percival (QSO).
Fepulea’i Margie Apa (Source: rnz.co.nz)
Sir Collin said he had only spoken with one member about stepping down as chair.
Sir Collin’s resignation also comes at a time where the National, ACT and New Zealand First coalition Government is reviewing race-based policies, including the potential to scrap programmes offering Māori and Pacific easier pathways to enter medical school.
“I don’t know what the Government has in mind but I hope common sense prevails,” Sir Collin, said.
The lack of Pacific representation within the New Zealand government was a concern, he said.
“From 11 MPs in Cabinet to no one at all…. people say you can do good things without representation. I don’t think so. Winnie Laban says if you are not at the table, you’re dinner.”
A charity says families displaced after a fire destroyed temporary homes behind a South Auckland Church will need lots of support this holiday season.
The fire at the Māngere Bridge church complex destroyed transitional homes, residents’ belongings and a car. (Source: rnz.co.nz)
Two weeks ago, a fire ripped through the Akoteu Faka Kalisitiane Ko Namoa church complex at Māngere Bridge.
The blaze destroyed four cabins on the complex, where families in need of housing have been living in temporary accommodation.
Dave Letele from the charity Buttabean Motivation has been supporting the ten affected families, who are still living temporarily in the main church hall.
“We got reached out to right after it happened, for support with food and more, and we always think if you can help, you should.”
He said the community has been rallying around the affected families who had lost everything in the fire, and were doing it tough, especially in the lead up to Christmas.
“We are just one out of a number of groups that are supporting and doing the best we can. It’s tough times for a lot of people and for this to happen just leading up to Christmas, it’s heartbreaking really.
It was earlier reported by FENZ that there were no sprinklers and no evidence of smoke alarms in the church buildings housing the families.
The Tongan church said the revelation was concerning.
No one was injured in the fire but FENZ said the families are lucky to be alive.
Fanaika Mateaki, 26, on the left faces first-degree murder charge and Paea Mateaki, 19, faces an attempted murder charge.Photo/Hawai’i Now
Two brothers of Tongan decent could face life imprisonment without parole after their indictment in the shooting death of a co-worker at Kakaako, Honolulu.
Fanaika Mateaki, 26, was charged Monday with first-degree attempted murder, second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder and four firearms offenses, Hawai’i media reported.
The second suspect, Paea Mateaki, 19, was charged with second-degree attempted murder and two firearms offenses.
Fanaika allegedly shot to death his former co-worker — Ikaika Stone — last Friday and tried to shoot another man, but failed.
Prosecutors say Paea then grabbed the gun and also tried to shoot the other man, but failed.
The brothers remain in custody at the Oahu Community Correctional Center.
They made their first court appearance on Tuesday.
A judge ordered a Tongan interpreter to be present at future court dates after the suspects failed to answer a question.
Fanaika’s bail is set at $1 million and Paea’s is $750,000.
The best option for Lulutai airlines is to write off its aircraft which had crash-landed at Fua’amotu domestic airport yesterday, an expert said.
The Saab 340B appeared to have suffered an apparent loss of hydraulic pressure and problems with the landing gear preventing the pilot from controlling it.
The aircraft then had to return to Nuku’alofa without landing at Vava’u according to its schedule.
The aircraft sustained substantial damage after it collided into a concrete structure off the runway at about 2pm.
Former Cabinet Minister Sangster Saulala who was in Vava’u at the time of the incident told Kaniva News the aircraft landed there at 10.30am yesterday before it returned to Nuku’alofa with passengers. It is understood that that was its flight number L812 and its returned flight from Vava’u number L813 at 12pm.
According to Lulutai airlines official schedules on its Facebook page the Saab was scheduled to return to Vava’u yesterday on its flight number L814 and it was expected to land there at 1pm. However, while it was about to land it suddenly changed direction and turned away from Vava’u.
Reports said the captain subsequently announced there had been a technical problem and they were returning to Nuku’alofa.
Cabin crew reportedly told the passengers there was a hydraulic problem.
Passengers reportedly said there was a massive boom when the aircraft landed before it went sideways, seats broke, then the aircraft suddenly stopped as if it had hit something.
All passengers were safely evacuated and no one injured but one man was reportedly carried off the plane in a stretcher.
In a press release the airline reported the aircraft had safely landed back and was taxiing to the terminal when upon turning the aircraft experienced a technical issue, turned and hit a cement block on the side of the apron with the right-hand wing becoming lodged on the cement block.
Previous damages
The aircraft was taken out of service earlier this year for an engine overhaul. Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku said at the time the government had been told to ground the aircraft.
At the time it was estimated repairs would take three to four months.
Our source claimed the cost of overhauling an engine for Saab was between US$780,000 and $820,000.
In May 2020, the aircraft had suffered a bird strike causing engine problems on departure from Vava’u. It returned for a safe landing, but appears to have been grounded before later taking into air again.
The Saab 340 is derived from a Swedish design which first flew in 1983. Several hundred of the aircraft are still flying.
Expert weighs in
An aircraft engineer who did not want to be identified told Kaniva News that from his experience the Saab had been extensively damaged after yesterday’s incident.
He said the cost to fix the hydraulic system could be around $100,000.00 but if Lulutai chooses to fix the structural damage the cost of repairs would be more than the aircraft is worth.
He believed the aircraft should be written off.
Airlines controversy
The incident comes in the wake of the government being accused of falsifying its budget to hide the investment of millions of pa’anga on Lulutai airlines and the purchase of its recent new aircraft. The Prime Minister denied this and said the purchase was included in the budget as “gifts and shares”.
It is understood the purchase included a loan from the National Retirement Fund.
The government was also accused of hiding behind the Companies Act to allow Cabinet Ministers to continue as members of Lulutai’s Board of Directors although the law says they can only retrain membership within 12 months.
Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku insisted that it was up to the government’s consideration to decide when it is fit to cease its membership.
The Lulutai airlines is fully funded by the government since its inception in 2020.
Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku was also accused of failing in his role as the chairperson of the airline’s board of directors by not responding to Parliamentary letters by people’s MPs asking for financial statements for the years 2020/2021, 2021/2022, 2022/23 and 2023 2024.
His vote of no confidence motions, in which he had survived recently, said the government’s registration of the airlines under the Companies Act was unlawful because all government’s businesses must be registered under the Public Enterprises Act, something the Prime Minister has also denied.
Under the Companies Act the government does not have to provide Lulutai’s financial statements to the public or Parliament something the Opposition MPs argued it did not make sense. The Opposition also argued this was why the law requires all government businesses to be registered under the Public Enterprise Act so that the Parliament could access their records.
The government had put $10.1 million in its 2022/2023 and $3.3 million on its 2023/2024 budgets towards loan guarantees for Lulutai airlines’ maintenance services. As we reported previously, questions in Parliament about these budget allocations received vague responses from the Prime Minister and his Minister of Finance.
Operating at a loss
The Saab’s latest serious damage is a devastating news for the government’s attempts to revive the domestic services.
It has been estimated that the government had spent about TOP$18 million so far on the airlines after it replaced the Real Tonga Airlines in 2020, Kaniva News has learned.
A reliable source told us the airlines is currently operating at a great loss.
In 2021 the former Tu’i’onetoa government reached an in-principle agreement to sell the national airlines to the privately-owned Flyniu airlines.
Tu’i’onetoa had indicated at the time in an e-mail seen by Kaniva News the Lulutai airlines was available to be purchased by Flyniu.
However, the Tu’i’onetoa government was ousted in the 2022 premiership election.
Australian assistance
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs had awarded a tender for the maintenance of the aircraft.
The Australian government had also recently provided the Tongan government with AU$1.25 million to help with transporting of Tonga’s newly purchased aircraft, train pilots to fly it, purchase spare parts needed and ensure its smooth transition into servicing the people of Tonga.
Australia has been providing support to Lulutai Airlines since mid-2022 in critical areas, such as training for pilots and engineers, a wet-lease arrangement with Fiji Airways to operate regular flights while their fleet was grounded for maintenance, as well as regional cooperation and collaboration with other Pacific Island airlines.
They are also working with Lulutai Airlines to develop a long-term sustainable business plan to support fleet growth as well as good reservations and sales system enhancements.
Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku had stated recently that the new aircraft would help Lulutai meet the demands of local travel.
What is hydraulic failure?
Aircraft hydraulic failure is a critical situation that can pose serious safety risks to the operation of an aircraft.
The hydraulic system is a crucial component of an aircraft’s flight control and landing gear operation, as well as other important functions such as brakes, spoilers, and thrust reversers.
Hydraulic failure can result in the loss of these functions, leading to reduced control, increased workload for pilots, and potential catastrophic consequences.
Hydraulic systems are responsible for transmitting and controlling high-pressure fluid to operate various mechanical and electrical components.
They provide the necessary force to operate flight control surfaces, landing gear, and other critical systems. In case of hydraulic failure, the ability of the pilot to control the aircraft may be compromised, leading to loss of control, reduced maneuverability, and increased risk of accidents.
The Police Commissioner says he is committed to meeting the new government’s expectations for a crackdown on gangs.
In a letter to Andrew Coster, the new Police Minister Mark Mitchell said the force needed to use its full legal powers to stop gangs from taking over public roads, towns and spaces, and to significantly disrupt gang and organised crime in the community.
The minister also expected a back-to-basics approach with a highly visible presence in the community and a continued strong focus on youth crime.
Mitchell signed off his letter of expectation by saying meeting these expectations would require strong and decisive leadership.
Coster told Checkpoint frontline staff needed to be freed up “to focus on the things that only police can do”, and he was looking for the minister’s support in achieving that.
As for gangs gathering in public spaces, he said legislative changes would be key levers.
“At the moment, there’s no offence associated with gang members gathering and so the patch ban would potentially help us in that regard.”
Coster said he was providing advice to the minister on how police would enforce a ban on gang patches.
He could not say how effective the ban would be.
As for large gang gatherings moving forward, he said: “We will need to deploy very carefully to those events to achieve that outcome”.
There were several ways officers could enforce a ban on gang members gathering in public, including waiting until later to arrest people, he said.
“There are lots of ways for us to approach this … the tactics will depend on the situation, we need to make sure our people are well prepared and that our training is good. But in the end, those legislative levers are important for us.”
He said Police were prioritising more frontline officers and a stronger visibility in communities.
“The government investment and 500 new police officers will be a key part of that in terms of creating the peak presence that we will need around our town centres.
“We’re also considering how we’re organised in relation to gangs particularly, and making sure that we’ve got the necessary coordination that will be required to police these events and in a coordinated way.”
Coster said an increased effort was needed to recruit new officers.
A copy of a letter in Tongan purportedly sent from the Nuku’alofa Royal Palace office with incorrect dates has been mocked on social media.
Purported Royal Palace letter mocked for using dates that have not happened yet
The letter, which appeared to have come from the king’s secretary Sione Fifita, thanked the Tū family group for visiting the palace recently.
The members of the group identify themselves as royalists and have regularly clashed with supporters of the global online democratic movements and party known as PTOA.
Tū leader Pita Pua went live recently and challenged some democratic frontliners in Tonga to a physical fight.
In response, democratic activist ‘Asiata Masima went live on Facebook and told his supporters he was looking for Pua. The video showed Masima and his associate Vilison Tauelangi driving in a blue pick up van.
On the same day, Police arrested Masima and charged him with attempted murder. Police later arrested Tauelangi and also charged him with attempted murder.
The Police said at the time they made the arrests and the charges after they gathered evidence from the streamed video.
In a rare case, a livestreamed video was shared on Facebook this week which appeared to show Pua and some of his followers meeting with Masima and Tauelangi at a police station in Tonga.
The video appeared to show the meeting being chaired by a senior Police officer in what appeared to be an attempt to reconcile the two parties.
The people at the meeting were showed shaking hands and hugging.
The Tū group is based in Australia. They went to Tonga last month to join the commemoration of the Tuku Fonua ki Langi or the ‘Giving of Tonga to God’ service which King George I proclaimed in Vava’u in 1837.
Pua repeatedly announced that their attendance at the ceremony was part of their political agenda to urge the king to scrap the democratic reforms of 2010 and return political power to His Majesty.
Yesterday the Tū members took pride in the letter and shared it on Facebook, telling their critics the king was happy with their recent visit to Tonga.
However, the letter was dated December 12, 2023, which does not fall until next week.
It also thanked the Tū family in Tongan for visiting the palace on December 27, 2023, a date that occurs in three weeks.
Critics of the Tū have been poking fun with the letter, with many doubting its authenticity.
“Is this letter truly from the palace office or not?” a commenter wrote.
“What a silly mistake”, another wrote.
Some commenters suggested that His Majesty’s secretary intentionally misdated the letter to make fun of the Tū family.
The palace office could not be reached for comment.
