The Tongan woman’s body which was found dead at a Pukekohe property has been identified.
She was Toakase Finau, aged 29, of Māngere, South Auckland.
The revelation came after a homicide investigation launched in Pukekohe following an incident at an address on Wednesday.
Police have now completed all of their formal identification and notification procedures relating to the woman located deceased at the McNally Road property on 10 March.
“Our team are continuing to investigate the circumstances of Toakase’s death and we are providing her whānau with the support we can at this difficult time,” said Counties Manukau Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Bolton.
A man who was taken to Middlemore Hospital at the time of the incident remains in a critical condition.
“Our scene examination at the property remains ongoing at this stage.”
Anyone who has not yet spoken with Police as part of our investigation is asked to come forward and call Counties Manukau Crime Squad on (09) 261 1321.
By Sarah Robson of RNZ.co.nz. This story is republished with permission
International boxing star Joseph Parker can now be named as the high-profile sportsman allegedly connected to a global drug syndicate.
Photo: PhotoSport / Andrew Cornaga
Parker was named during the trial of a trio found guilty of importing methamphetamine from California at the High Court in Auckland in 2019.
Although Parker was the subject of police interest, authorities did not speak to him, did not execute a search warrant and have never charged him.
Parker has denied any involvement in the importation of class A drugs, or the purchase, supply or consumption of methamphetamine.
He has also denied being involved in changing or transporting money for the three men.
In 2017, Tevita Fangupo, Tevita Kulu and Toni Finau imported large amounts of methamphetamine, disguised in Nike shoes and clothing declared as gifts.
Kulu was jailed for 18 years, Fangupo for 17 years and Finau for eight-and-a-half years. Kulu and Fangupo must serve at least half of their sentences before they are eligible for parole.
During the High Court trial, Parker was refused name suppression, but that was challenged all the way to the country’s highest court.
In a judgment released yesterday, the Supreme Court said although naming Parker would cause him undue hardship, the principles of open justice outweighed that.
“In the present case, there is no dispute that publication would cause undue hardship to the applicant, so the discretion to make a suppression order was enlivened,” the judgment said.
“However, in all of the four decisions considering the application, the Courts have determined that the discretion should not be exercised in favour of suppression, having regard to open justice principles.”
Parker was given 24 hours by the Supreme Court to allow him to “communicate the result as he needs to”, before name suppression lapsed.
In a statement released after his name was revealed, Parker said he had resolved to put this matter behind him and concentrate on the future.
“This has been going on for ages now, and it takes a toll. I haven’t been charged with anything and it doesn’t feel right that my name will be connected to matters I’ve had no chance to defend myself against.”
He said he could not imagine anyone in his position not wanting to seek name suppression in similar circumstances.
“It’s a terrible position to be in. Things have been said about me that are quite untrue; some of them have already been proven untrue, and I was given no chance to respond at the time they were made.
“It’s caused a lot of stress and worry for myself and my family – and it just seems totally wrong.
“Having said that, I need to accept the decision and get on with my life. I have other fights to fight.”
Parker’s lawyer Michael Heron said Parker and his legal team “respectfully acknowledge and accept those decisions, whilst disagreeing with them”.
“In summary, Mr Parker was investigated by the police, who found there was insufficient evidence on which to charge him. The police made a public statement confirming that, after questions were raised with them. Mr Parker has denied, on oath, any involvement with methamphetamine or any involvement with the importation of drugs. He has not engaged in that conduct.
“Despite the lack of evidence against him, unfounded allegations were made against Mr Parker in court. Those allegations were not supported by evidence, were unnecessary and were unfair.”
The drug trial
During the trial of Fangupo, Kulu and Finau, the Crown alleged Parker had played a role in the import of methamphetamine, by transporting and changing currency.
It has since recanted part of the evidence presented at trial.
The Crown now accepts that it was not Parker who was referred to in a text to Kulu from a Californian supplier, in July 2017.
“It was to the effect that he was ‘taking sese and joe out’ and that they would be changing New Zealand currency for him. ‘(J)oe’ was said by the Crown to be Mr Parker. But the Crown now accepts that it cannot have been him. He was not in California at the time,” a Court of Appeal judgment in October 2020 said.
However, a second aspect of the Crown’s evidence – which the Court of Appeal called “more damaging” – has not been recanted: a later text from Kulu to another Californian supplier.
“It was more explicit, stating that Mr Kulu had ‘paid one of the guys I was with today to change [the price] into [US] currency’ and then stating, in a second message: ‘Alright bro..I got u tho..have all ur money..the dude I was with that’s on my snapchat is going to change it to U.S currency..they won’t question him bout all the money..cause he’s the WOB boxing champion so pple know he rich anyways so he’ll be good to change it with no hassles’,” the same Court of Appeal judgment said.
Other messages on the application Wickr between Parker’s account and Finau appeared to show the user of ‘joeboxerparker’ arranging for the purchase or supply of small quantities of drugs over a four-day period, the judgment said.
As part of the legal proceedings over name suppression, Parker denied helping the trio in a sworn affadavit: “I have never been involved in the importation of class A drugs. I have never changed or transported money for the defendants. I have never been involved in the purchase, supply or consumption of methamphetamine.”
Who is Joseph Parker?
Parker, 29, became the first New Zealand-born heavyweight boxing world champion in 2016, defeating Andy Ruiz Junior in Auckland to claim the vacant WBO World Heavyweight Championship.
After turning professional in 2012, he has recorded 28 wins and two losses. He was undefeated over his first 24 professional fights.
His most recent fight was just last month, with a unanimous points victory over Junior Fa in Auckland.
Last week, Parker split with his long-time trainer Kevin Barry. Parker left New Zealand on Tuesday to meet up with his new trainer.
FAKAMATALA FAKA-TONGA
Ko e tangata fuhu ‘iloa ko ia ko Joseph Parker ‘a e toko taha sipoti ‘iloa ne tukuaki’i na’a’ ne fetu’utaki mo e kau tila faito’o konatapu lahi ‘i Nu’u Sila kuo mo’ua ngāue pōpula ai ‘a e kau tangata Tonga ‘i he 2017. Ko Tevita Kulu ‘oku lolotonga ngāue pōpula ta’u ‘e 18, kae ta’u ‘e 17 ‘a Tevita Fangupō. Ko Toni Finau kuo ngāue pōpula ta’u ‘e valu mo e konga ki he hia ko ‘enau hū mai ha faito’o konatapu lahi kalasi ko e mefi, ‘o fufuu’i mai he ngaahi su Naiki mo e vala ne fakahā ko e me’a’ofa. Fakatatau ki he fakamatala ne ma’u ‘e he kau polisi’ lolotonga ‘enau fakatotolo’i ‘a e hia ko ‘eni’ ne ma’u ai ha ngaahi fetesi’aki ‘o kau ai ‘a e hingoa ko e Joe. Pea ne tui e kau polisi ko Joe Parker ia. Ne ‘i ai ‘a e tui ‘a e kau polisi foki ne ‘osi fakafetongi ‘e Parker ‘a e pa’anga muli mei he tila ko ‘eni’. Ka ne ‘ikai pe ke nau faka’ilo ‘a Parker. Faka’ikai’i kotoa ‘eni ia ‘e Parker na’e ‘ikai ha’ane kaunga ‘e taha ki he hia ne fakahoko ko ‘eni’. Ne lele ‘a e hopo ka ne ta’ofi ke fakahā ‘a e hingoa’ koe’uhī ko e ala ke uesia ai ‘a e kaha’u mo e talēniti ‘o Parker. ‘Aneafi ne fakahā ai ‘e he Fakamaau’anga’ ke tuku ange mai ‘a e hingoa ki he kakai’. Ne ui e kau fakamo’oni Tonga he hopo’ ‘i he 2017 pea fakahā ai ‘e Sioeli Fakafanua ne ne fu’u ‘ohovale he’ena sio ko Parker ‘a e tokotaha ne ‘ave ki ai ‘e Finau ‘i Manukau ‘a e tangai ko e fo’i’akau hinehina. Ne ‘ikai fakamahino ‘i he hopo’ ko e hā ‘a e fo’i ‘akau ko ‘eni’.
The Leader of Democratic (PTOA) Party Sēmisi Sika has accused Prime Minister Pōhiva Tu’i’onetoa of lying when he was interviewed about why the government did not repair damages to the roads after recent heavy raining and flooding.
One of the roads in Tongatapu with holes after recent flooding. Photo/Facebook
Sika claimed the Prime Minister appears to have held a grudge against the PTOA Party members and this has been shown in some of his regular public statements and interviews which Sika has described as “malicious and unbecoming”.
Sika was responding after the Prime Minister said during a recent interview with the government’s sponsored Television Tonga and Broadcasting Commission that the government could not repair the damages because of contract agreements signed by Sika in 2018.
The interview
Tu’i’onetoa said these were five companies contracted by the government to repair the roads but stopped short of saying why the contractors did not do their jobs to repair the roads or whether the government has discussed the situation with them. Instead, he kept on telling the broadcaster the government couldn’t do anything to repair the roads until these companies’ contracts expired in May this year.
The Prime Minister also said the public have to face and stay with the road damages as if the government has made any changes to the agreements these contractors may end up taking legal actions against the government.
PM Tu’i’onetoa said Sika signed the contract agreements while he was the Minister of Infrastructure in 2018.
He said the companies were BB Contractor, Five Star – a company belongs to Sika’s parents, To’a Contractor, Petani Quarry and Veisiale Construction
PM Tu’i’onetoa (left), MP Sika
Contractors vs government
But Sika claimed the Prime Minister was lying.
He alleged the roads were left unrepaired because the government has yet to tell the contractors to repair them.
Many potholes had been seen developing on main roads in Nuku’alofa very recently and Sika said this was of great concerns because these were the capital’s main roads.
Sika told Kaniva News this week the contractors could not do any repair or maintenance works to the roads unless the government’s Ministry of Infrastructure tell them when to repair or fill the roads with tar.
Sika said the contracted works included mowing grasses along the roadsides.
“If you see long grasses along our roadsides it was because the government did not tell the contractors to cut it,” Sika claimed.
Sika said these contractors were ready to do the works and they have the right equipment to do the jobs.
“The Prime Minister mentioned my name as the former Minister of MOI from Tongatapu 2 who signed the contracts. That was untrue,” Sika said.
Payment conditions / Procurement Committee
Sika said if these contractors have repaired the roads without getting permission from the government first the Ministry of Finance wouldn’t pay them for that work.
Sika said the Prime Minister’s claim that he, as former MOI Minister, dealt with the agreements with these contactors and signed them in 2018 was untrue.
Sika said all government’s contract works must be processed by the government through its Procurement Committee.
He said the contracts for these five companies were all processed through the Procurement Committee and Tu’i’onetoa was the Minister of Finance at the time when the government offered the contracts to these companies. The Procurement Committee is operated under the authority of the Minister of Finance.
“The Committee’s duties includes examining the companies to make sure they can do the jobs well before offering them the contracts,” Sika said.
Sika said the outsourcing of the road repair works to private companies was initiated by the World Bank before it was accepted by the Tonga government few years before he became the Minister of Infrastructure.
FAKAMATALA FAKA-TONGA
Kuo tukuaki’i ‘e Semisi Sika, taki ‘o e PTOA na’e loi ‘a e Palemia he’ene pehē ‘i ha ‘initaviu he’ikai lava e pule’anga ‘o toe monomono e ngaahi hala’ kuo maumau’i ‘e he ‘uha’ mo e tāfea’ koe’uhi ne’ osi konituleki e pule’anga ki mu’a ‘o ‘Akilisi Pōhiva mo ha ngaahi kautaha ‘e nima ke nau fai ‘a e ngāue ko ia’. Na’e ‘ikai ha lave ‘e taha ‘a e palemia’ ‘i hono faka’eke’eke ko ‘eni ia ‘e he Televisone Tonga’ ki he ‘uhinga kuo ‘ikai monomono ai ‘e he ngaahi kautaha ko ‘eni ‘a e hala’ ngata pe he’ene pehē kuo ‘osi fai ‘a e konituleki mo kinautolu. Pehē ‘e Tu’i’onetoa ko Sika ne alea mo e ngaahi kautaha ko ‘eni’ ki mu’a pea ne fakamo’oni he ngaahi konituleki’. Pehē ‘e Sika, ‘oku ‘ikai mo’oni e palēmia’ heni. “i he fakamatala ‘a Sika, ‘oku mahino neongo kuo fai ‘a e fefakamo’oni’aki aleapau ‘a e ngaahi konitulekotoa mo e pule’anga’ ka ‘e kei fakaongoongo pe ‘a e ngaahi kautaha’ ni ki he ngaue ke fai’ ‘i hano fakamafai’i mei he pule’anga’. Ne pehē ai ‘e Sika ‘e ‘ikai lava e kau konitulekitoa’ ‘o monomono ha konga hala ta’e ‘uluaki tala mai ‘e he pule’anga’ ke nau ngāue ki he hala ko ia’. Pehē ‘e Sika, kapau ‘e tu’u hake pe ngaahi konitulekitoa’ ‘o monomono e hala’ ta’e fakapā ki mu’a ki he pule’anga’ ‘e ‘ikai totongi ‘e he pule’anga’ ia ‘a e ngāue ko ia’. Ko e pehē ‘e he palēmia’ ko Sika ne ne alea’i ‘a e ngaahi konituleki ko ‘eni mo fakamo’oni ai’, ‘oku ta’emo’oni ia fakatatau kia Sika. Pehē ‘e Sika ko e lao’ ‘oku ne tala mai ko e ngaahi konituleki kotoa pe ‘a e pule’anga’ ‘e fou ia ‘i he Kōmiti Polokiuameni ‘a e Pule’anga’. Ko nautolu te nau sivi pe ‘oku taau ha konitulekitoa ki mu’a pea nau tali ‘aki honau mafai ke foaki ange ‘a e ngāue ko ia’. Pea ko e palēmia ‘o e ‘aho ni’ na’e Minisitā Pa’anga he ‘aho ne tali ai ‘e he Polokiuameni’ ‘a e konituleki ‘a e ngaahi kautaha ‘e nima ko ‘eni’ ke nau tanu mo monomono ‘a e ngaahi hala ‘i Tongatapu, ‘Eua, Ha’apai mo Vava’u mei Mē ‘o e 2018 ki Mē 2021. ‘A ia ko e Five Star, BB Contractor, To’a Construction, Veisiale Construction mo e Petani Quarry. Tukuaki’i foki ‘e Sika ‘a Tu’i’onetoa ‘oku kei teteve pe hono loto he PTOA pea ‘asi ‘a e ngaahi loto ngali taaufehi’a nai kiate ia ‘i he anga ‘ene ngaahi fakamatala ne fa’a fai ‘i hano faka’eke’eke ia ‘e he ngaahi mitia’.
This One News / TVNZ story is republished with permission
An Australian politician has referred to a planeload of deportees to New Zealand as “taking the trash out”.
Australia’s border force granted media access to the deportees as they headed for New Zealand.
The flight from Brisbane, bound for Auckland, was reportedly full of people who’d committed crimes in Australia.
A report by Nine News shows the reporter questioning them as they crossed the tarmac, asking, “How does it feel to be kicked out of Australia?” and, “Our country doesn’t want you, are you excited to go home?” to a handcuffed woman being escorted by two guards holding her.
The issue of Australia deporting its criminals to New Zealand has dogged trans-Tasman relations in recent years.
In many cases, deportees have been people who were born in New Zealand but raised in Australia, spending most of their lives over the ditch — where they committed their crimes.
Some have no connections with the land they’re being deported to as a result.
However Australia has stood firm, despite New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern calling out her Australian counterpart for deporting “your people and your problems”.
As the most recent flight took off, Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton referred to the deportations as the country “taking the trash out”.
“We’re talking about the most serious offenders here and our country is safer for having deported them,” he said.
This story by One News / TVNZ is republished with permission
Three Sydney men are accused of importing cocaine lollies and methylamphetamine lollipops.
Meth disguised as lollipops that was sent to Sydney from the US. Source: NSW Police
The men, aged 21, 31 and 49, were arrested in dawn raids today at homes in Dee Why, Macquarie Park, and Collaroy Plateau and taken to Manly police station on the northern beaches for questioning.
Australian Border Force officers say they intercepted three packages from the US that contained lollies laced with methylamphetamine and cocaine at the Sydney Gateway Facility mail centre last November.
Police from Sydney’s northern beaches established Strike Force Arced to investigate with help from The Department of Home Affairs and US Homeland Security.
Authorities say between November and March they seized 5.83 kilogrammes of methylamphetamine and 655 grams of cocaine, contained in 16 parcels bound for the northern beaches, Parramatta, Macquarie Park, Chatswood and Ryde.
The seizures – which have an estimated street value of NZ$3.76 million – included methylamphetamine packaged as lollipops and cocaine pressed as lollies.
The drugs were destined for the Northern Beaches, Chatswood, Macquarie Park, Ryde and Parramatta. Source: NSW Police
Northern Beaches Police Area Commander, Superintendent Patrick Sharkey, said the drugs posed a significant risk to the community.
“The manufacturing and packaging of these drugs was sophisticated; and they could have easily been mistaken for the sweets … by both children and adults,” he said in a statement.
“It is very concerning given the drugs were uncut and had a potency that could potentially cause serious injury or death if ingested.”
ABF International Mail, Cargo Clearance & Systems Support NSW Superintendent John Fleming said ABF officers were alert to the tactics used by criminals.
“Criminals might think that by using a scattergun approach to sending numerous packages containing drugs to different locations the packages will be missed by ABF officers, but that’s not the case,” he said.
“The ABF are always on the look-out for prohibited items being smuggled in goods like clothing, household goods, or in this case food items.”
This RNZ.co.nz story is republished with permission
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins and Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield are giving an update on Covid-19 cases and the nationwide vaccine rollout plan.
Watch live:
Border workers and their families have been the first to get the jab, with more than 50,000 frontline health workers next in line.
The plan being announced is expected to set out broadly what happens after that and will include indications on when certain groups can expect to be vaccinated.
A septic tank truck was spotted outside Sam Panda restaurant in Neiafu yesterday afternoon five days after Kaniva News reported the restaurant was at the centre of a series of complaints lodged with Health Authority.
Septic tank truck outside Sam Panda restaurant. Photo/Vāvā Lapota
Neiafu Town Officer Vava Lapota, who is also a local freelance reporter, said the truck was cleaning out the restaurant’s septic system.
Lapota claimed the Chinese owner of the restaurant met him on Friday and apologised after Lapota’s complaints were revealed by Kaniva News.
The restaurant owner could not be reached for comment.
Lapota said the owner Sam Pander said there were arrangements for workers to clean up the restaurant’s compound and making regular checks on the sewage tank but they did not do it.
As Kaniva News reported last week, Lapota claimed he has lodged a number of complaints with Health Authority over what he has described as poor sanitation conditions of the restaurant, but he hadn’t heard back.
Lapota said his complaints included the restaurant allegedly being operated without a proper drain system for its wastewater.
He also complained that the wastewater was collected before it was allegedly disposed into the seas.
Lord Dalgety of Sikotilani was rushed to hospital after he was allegedly hit on the head and left unconscious during a recent home-invasion robbery in Tongatapu.
Lord Dalgety of Sikotilani Tonga. Photo/Tonga Parliament
Veteran Journalist Kalafi Moala has reported the incident this evening saying the 76-year-old former Chief Justice “still suffers from pain….after he was knocked to the floor”.
Speaking with the king’s noble, Moala alleged a thief broke into Dalgety’s house.
The details of his recovery and medical treatment conditions were still unknown.
Police were still hunting for his attacker since the incident occurred three weeks ago.
The Scottish QC and former Conservative politician was charged with perjury over evidence he gave to a Royal Commission into the 2009 sinking of the MV Princess Ashika ferry, which claimed the lives of 74 people.
Lord Dalgety was secretary of the firm which operated the government-owned ferry. An official report into the disaster described him as an “evasive” character who “clearly lacks integrity and honesty”, and who was “unfit to hold such an important position”.
However, the Tongan life peer was cleared in 2012 after the court case against him was thrown out due to insufficient evidence.
Covid-19 vaccine passports will be “almost an inevitability” within the next year, according to Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins.
The Covid-19 Response Minister said everyone in New Zealand will “not necessarily” need to be vaccinated before allowing in people from overseas, however. Source: Q+A
“New Zealand’s actively involved in the conversations around vaccine passports,” he told Q+A this morning.
“I think vaccine passports are almost an inevitability at some point in the future and probably the not-too-distant future, I think that’s likely to happen.”
A vaccine passport is a way of people being able to easily show and prove they’ve been vaccinated for Covid-19, usually discussed in the context of overseas travel.
In the UK, it’s also being discussed as a possibility to require the vaccine passport for visiting busy domestic locations too, such as the gym or a restaurant.
Hipkins said while there is “a lot of water to flow under the bridge very quickly,” he believes the vaccine passport is “highly likely to be something people will need to get” within the next year.
No new community Covid-19 cases reported overnight – Chris Hipkins
Vaccines will need to be available to everyone before requiring a vaccine passport to travel can be mandatory, he added.
“You couldn’t say to someone, ‘You can’t travel until you’ve had a vaccine’, if that person couldn’t get a vaccine,” Hipkins said.
However, he said they may not require everyone in New Zealand to be vaccinated before people from overseas can enter the country.
Law expert warns Covid-19 vaccination passports might lead to discrimination for some
He said studies carried out overseas are within the wider global context of “widespread community transmission” and “in New Zealand, that’s not the context”.
“Very few [countries] are in the position New Zealand’s in, so if you look at other research they’re doing on transmission of the virus to air conditioning systems, no one else is looking at that because no one else really cares,” he said.
“In the context of person-to-person spread being the biggest transmitter, they’re not looking at air conditioning systems as we are.”
He said New Zealand could have “quite different border settings to the ones we have now” as vaccines are rolled out across the globe and there is a greater understanding of “what that means in terms of transmissibility of the vaccine”.
“As we get to a position where vaccines are part of the global picture, that will probably have an impact on our border as we can open up safe travel areas with other countries – Australia, the Pacific – we will absolutely be doing that.
“All of those things are happening. There’s a bit of uncertainty around all of those as well because there’s uncertainty around vaccines, but we’re working hard to try and give that certainty.”
While on Q+A this morning, the minister also confirmed there were no new Covid-19 cases to report in the community overnight. The formal update by the Ministry of Health is due at 1pm.
This RNZ.co.nz story is republished with permission
Cyclone Niran injured at least one person and caused extensive damage in New Caledonia according to early reports.
Cyclone Niran, (centre) Photo: Meteo NC
The cyclone hit today generating gusts of up to 220km/h.
RRB radio reported a child was injured by shards of glass from a bay window during the storm.
About 20,000 people are without power and roofs have also been ripped off buildings in the town of Dumbéa, on the outskirts of Noumea.
Several ships have also been forced aground on the coast in Noumea although according to a provisional report, no major damage was recorded following this cyclone, the intensity of which was a little lower than expected.
Meteo France NC said there was not a lot of rain during the storm but violent winds ranging from 130 to nearly 220km/h caused problems.
It’s been reported 50mm of rain fell over the course of six hours.
“Niran caused extensive damage to the power grid and to vegetation,” a civil security spokesperson told the AFP.
Meanwhile there are 400 people still sheltering in evacuation centres in the capital of Noumea.
The cyclone is weakening as it moves to the southeast of the New Caledonian mainland.
