Police acknowledge the guilty verdicts handed down in the homicide investigation into Meliame Fisi’ihoi’s death.
Mrs Fisi’ihoi was callously murdered in her Māngere home on the night of 15 January 2020 when she answered a knock at her window.
Yesterday, Viliami Iongi, 24, and Falala Iongi, 31, were found guilty of her murder.
Both were also found guilty of reckless discharge of a firearm, as well as wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm in relation to a separate incident in December 2019.
Manu Iongi, 22, was also found guilty of the manslaughter of Mrs Fisi’ihoi.
Detective Inspector Tofilau Fa’amanuia Va’aelua, of Counties Manukau Police, says the Operation Truro team worked tirelessly to put those responsible before the court, with arrests only made in April 2021 some 15 months later.
Meliame Fisi’ihoi, 57, died when she was shot at her home on Calthorp Close, Favona. Photo/Facebook
“It is pleasing to see verdicts handed down after a day of deliberations on the case,” he says.
“I would like to thank the community, particularly Calthorp Close residents, who assisted Police throughout our investigation and provided information to us.
“Their cooperation during the various area canvasses is greatly appreciated.”
Tonga’s Minister of Infrastructure Sevenitiini Toumo’ua has warned the former Minister of Finance Tevita Lavemaau of possible investigation about his role in the former government.
Minister of Infrastructure and Civil Aviation Seventeen Toumo’ua
The threat came after Lavemaau accused the Ministry of being slow in building houses for the 2021 tsunami victims.
Lavemaau was the Minister of Finance in the government of Late Prime Minister Pōhiva Tu’i’onetoa which launched the TP$450 million roading project. The former PM said it had the biggest budget ever allocated for roading works in Tonga.
The project, which was set to run from 2020 until 2023, attracted a lot of criticism after what appeared to be favouritism and nepotism, including the way how the construction contacts were awarded to close friends and blood relatives of the Cabinet Ministers. Only roads in villages and electorates of the Cabinet Ministers were constructed and repaired.
One of the contractors was offered to fraudster ‘Etuate Lavulavu whose wife Akosita Lavulavu was a minister at Tu’i’onetoa’s Cabinet.
The Tu’i’onetoa government was ousted in last year’s premiership election.
As Kaniva News reported previously, the current Hu’akavameiliku government has dumped the roading project together with other community housing projects.
Hon. Toumo’ua claimed earlier this year that contractors who supplied rocks for Tu’i’onetoa’s government road maintenance had forged records to obtain millions of pa’anga each month.
Hon. Toumo’ua claimed that records of loads carried under the roading contract were falsified to obtain TP$1 million in one month.
He alleged that trucks transporting rocks for the roading site used two different registration plate numbers.
He said TP$18 million of taxpayers’ had already been paid. He described this as “imprudent.”
Last night Hon. Toumo’ua launched another attack against the unfinished roading project and other related schemes by telling Former Minister Tevita Lavemaau he should be arrested and investigated.
He said Lavemaau should be investigated for several contracts he was involved with, but did not give further details.
The Minister also questioned Lavemaau about contracts he claimed involved ‘Etuate Lavulavu. He also questioned Lavemaau about a project in which an impact crusher appeared to have been given to his constituency. He also asked Lavemaau about a voucher which he claimed was paid for a service by a truck he owned.
Former Minister of Finance Tēvita Lavemaau
“What about the ($12 million) vessel which could not travel to Ha’apai and Vava’u”, Hon. Toumo’ua asked in Tongan of Lavemaau.
The sudden angry outburst from the Minister of Infrastructure on Facebook last night appeared to have been triggered by a comment by Lavemaau criticising the Ministry over its poor handling of the new housing projects for the 2021 tsunami victims.
The post in question on the Ministry’s Facebook page said 28 houses were meant to be built at Nomuka, but only 12 had been built. It said the Ministry planned to finish three more houses before the end of this year and the remainder would be completed by next year.
In response, Lavemaau wrote under the comment section that he felt for the pitiful state of the people in the outer islands who were victims of the tsunami nearly two years after the tragedy and construction had yet to be completed.
“What is your problem MOI”, Lavemaau asked of the Ministry of Infrastructure.
He said the funds had long been in the Treasury for the work.
“It is about time for a commission to investigate the work you are doing,” he said.
A Ministry of Infrastructure on-line administrator told Lavemaau off.
“Tevita Lavemaau you should be the one to be arrested and investigated first to find out the country’s money, your contracts”, it said in Tongan.
“How about Lavulavu’s road construction contract?
“How about the impact crusher for ‘Eua?
“How about the voucher which was paid for your truck?
“How about the $12M for the vessel which could not travel to Ha’apai and Vava’u?”
Lavemaau told the administrator to come clean and show his true identity.
In response, the admin said he was the Minister of Infrastructure Sevenitiini Toumo’ua.
In Tongan he wrote: “ Ko au Sevenitiini Toumo’ua”.
Domestic rainwater tanks in Tonga are often contaminated and the water can be unsafe to drink.
Nine water tanks have been installed in Ha’apai by the New Zealand Defence Force. Photo: Supplied/NZDF
Matangi Tonga reports that is the finding of a recent study which showed that if tanks are not managed and cleaned regularly the water is often contaminated with E.coli.
The study was compiled by the Ministries of Health and Lands and Natural Resources with the aid of the Asian Development Bank.
Results have shown that sanitation and hygiene practices must improve with the study making clear that the only houses with tank water free of E. coli were those that had been disinfected as part of post-disaster activities in 2022.
The Tonga government has issued its “Guide to Safe Rainwater Harvesting in Tonga”, outlining the best practices for people to ensure their water is free of E.coli.
The guide is available in the Tongan language.
Disinfection tablets that residents can put in the tanks are also available from the Ministry of Health.
FENZ assistant commander Chris Delfos said there were no sprinklers and no evidence of smoke alarms in the church buildings housing families in need.
FENZ was concerned at the number of people staying in the buildings. Delfos told Midday Report they were more like garages, rather than houses.
“We didn’t see or hear any smoke alarms. There definitely weren’t any sprinklers in the building, either. It was very lucky that all of these people got out of the fire in time.”
Delfos said the blaze appeared to be an electrical fire.
The buildings are owned by the Akoteu Faka-Kalisitiane Ko Namoa church.
Meanwhile, public health officials are assessing the risk of asbestos to the Māngere Bridge community after the fire, because of the age of the buildings that were destroyed.
Nearby schools and an early childhood centre have been asked to keep their children inside until the risk is known and further advice can be given.
Namoa Pre-school, which is on the church’s site, is closed until further notice.
FENZ has dampened down areas close to the fire site to reduce any spread of asbestos fibres, if they are present.
Te Whatu Ora says that, combined with a lack of wind, meant there was a low risk for other Māngere Bridge properties.
Urban cable cars could provide cheaper, cleaner and faster mass transport solutions for New Zealand cities, according to a new report commissioned by an aerial lift manufacturer.
Doppelmayr New Zealand chief executive Garreth Hayman told Nine to Noon the analysis by transport planning and engineering specialists Abley identified 20 potential gondola locations nationwide, with Auckland and Wellington its immediate focus.
“You’re up at that higher level, it’s comfortable, it’s fast and it’s on time. It doesn’t get impacted by what’s going on below.”
One of the company’s systems in Sentosa City in Singapore. Photo: Supplied / Doppelmayr New Zealand
Three of the transport links the company intended to pursue would connect the Auckland and Wellington airports with suburbs that do not have strong existing public transport options, he said.
The sites considered in Auckland and Wellington would save passengers up to 29 minutes travel time, compared with existing public transport systems, and had capacity to transport up to 6000 people an hour between main transport links and suburbs.
Garreth Hayman Photo: Supplied / Doppelmayr New Zealand
“We know these solutions work because we have seen them in action in large international cities – where they complement existing transport networks and are incorporated into existing buildings, underground stations, airports and housing developments.”
The report had just received “a warm reception” from the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, he said.
Doppelmayr New Zealand was open to working with government and council planning and transport agencies and was also seeking private/public financing or equity agreements.
Unlike rail-based systems, cable cars could be installed “with a minimum of disruption and in a shorter period”.
“Cost is one of the biggest driving factors, around a third of the cost of light rail, or even rapid bus solutions,” Hayman said.
“There’s a system that’s currently under construction in Paris, due to open in 2025, and that’s costing around $50 million per kilometre. We think that’s a good example of what the costs would be in New Zealand.”
A Tongan suspect has been arrested in Hawai’i charged in connection with robbery and auto theft after being at large for a week.
Sateki Nisa
The Kaua‘i Police Department arrested 27-year-old Sateki Nisa of Pāhoa, Hawai‘i Island, Tuesday morning, the Kaua’i Now online reported.
He is currently being held on bail totalling $114,000. He is being charged with first-degree robbery, Unauthorized Control of Propelled Vehicle, first-degree reckless endangering, two counts of credit card theft, unauthorized possession of personal confidential information and driving without a valid driver’s license.
“Mr. Nisa is currently being held on bail at KPD cell block, and our investigation is ongoing,” said Acting Capt. Kennison Nagahisa with the Investigative Services Bureau. “We thank the public for your tips and information that helped lead to his arrest.”
According to a preliminary report, KPD personnel received a report of a robbery that occurred at Ahukini Landing in Līhu‘e on Nov. 13 at 8:40 p.m. A man fitting Sateki Nisa’s description held the operator of a Toyota Corolla at gunpoint and took off with the vehicle. No injuries were reported.
The next day, on Nov. 14, the suspect was observed in the stolen Toyota Corolla near mile-marker 5 of Kūhiō Highway, around the south entrance to Leho Drive. The suspect pulled to the side of the road, exited the vehicle, and fled into the bushes. Kaua‘i Police pursued the suspect in the heavily wooded area, but could not locate him.
Anyone with information about this case is urged to call KPD Dispatch at 808-241-1711. Those wishing to remain anonymous can provide information by calling Crime Stoppers Kauaʻi at 808-246-8300, submitting a tip at cskauai.org, or through the Crime Stoppers Kauaʻi P3 Tips Mobile App, available for download on Android and Apple mobile devices.
New Zealand on Air says board member Andrew Shaw has resigned over a post he made regarding Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters.
NZ on Air board member Andrew Shaw who has stepped down today. Photo: Screenshot / NZ on Air
It said Shaw has also unreservedly apologised for comments made on LinkedIn about Peters.
Newshub is reporting that Shaw’s post said of Peters: “He’s not truthful. He’s not accurate. He’s malicious and he is here on behalf of international tobacco. His return is the worst of this gang of thugs.”
The post has since been taken down from LinkedIn, Newshub reported.
Shaw was responding to comments from Peters on Monday, during which he accused state-funded media organisations of a lack of independence from the previous government.
He said TVNZ and RNZ were not truly independent, and could not “defend $55 million of bribery”. This was a reference to the Public Interest Journalism Fund, a three-year $55m contestable fund for journalists initially set up to shore up public interest media during the Covid-19 pandemic, which was wound up in July.
New Zealand on Air said in a statement this evening Shaw accepted it was wrong to publish his personal political views.
The views expressed were Shaw’s own and not a reflection of the agency’s views, it said.
“We are a non-partisan agency that has worked constructively with governments of all hues for 34 years,” NZ on Air’s statement said.
Board appointments are made by the Broadcasting Minister’s office.
Shaw was appointed by former minister Kris Faafoi for a three-year term starting from 1 June 2022.
At the time of his appointment, the minister’s office said Shaw had worked in broadcasting for 45 years, with stints on shows such as Mastermind, Radio with Pictures, Top Town and Clash of the Codes.
In 2000 he left TVNZ to become chief operating officer of South Pacific Pictures and then general manager of Prime.
In 2007 he returned to TVNZ as general manager of commissioning and acquisitions, before taking up a role as deputy director of content where he oversaw international acquisitions and co-productions.
More recently, he has worked as a consultant to independent producers via his own company.
The board chairperson at the time, Ruth Harley, said he brought “an enormous depth of experience to the screen content side of our business as well as a wealth of knowledge about NZ culture in a range of domains”, to the board role.
In its statement today the board thanked Shaw for his service, saying his decades of screen sector experience had been “invaluable”.
An unexpected power outage this morning on Tongatapu has provoked another public furore over Tonga Power’s role in the country’s ongoing power outage saga.
King attending his grandchildren’s’ prize giving ceremony
Tonga Power later apologised this afternoon and said the issue had been fixed.
“Please be informed that there was a temporary interruption in the power supply to your areas due to an unexpected technical issue that affected one of our power generators at the Popua power station”, it said.
“This issue has been resolved and the power supply to your areas has been switched on.
Once again, we regret for any inconvenience that this power disruption has caused”.
Reports said King Tupou VI was attending his grandchildren’s prize giving at the Maamaloa Primary School when the incident occurred.
Tonga Power consumers on Tongatapu have been hit by power outages that have worsened in recent months and have forced some people to take to Facebook and vented their frustrations. This included those who said they had equipment which had been damaged by the outage.
“There is no governmental action to address these ongoing problems,” a commenter said.
“I thought when the king is attending an event the power company should do its best to make sure there’s no problem with electricity in that area”, one commenter wrote.
Last week the company apologised after an unexpected outage hit the Hihifo areas on Tongatapu.
“We regret to inform you of an unexpected technical issue affecting one of our power generators at the Popua power station.”, it said.
“As a result, we are conducting controlled “Electricity Load Shedding” operations to address this emergency.
Tonga Power came under fire last year after the deadly Hunga Tong-Hunga Ha’apai eruptions when consumers complained about what they described as a shocking spike in power bills.
In response Tonga Power told consumers that power bills for January 2022 were being distributed and would reflect the government’s contribution of $100 for each household in Tongatapu and Vava’u.
However the spike appeared to have persisted before Tonga power said it would hire experts from overseas to help resolve the issue which was described as a fault in the organisation’s computer programme used to calculate the electricity used by consumers.
