A son of a Tongan family in Auckland is fighting for his life in hospital after he was allegedly knifed in a party last night in Manurewa.
‘Ofa Kaifa told Kaniva his son Tali’eiki received five stab wounds, three were inflicted in his back and two in his ribs.
One of the stab wounds showed the knife almost punctured his lung, he said.
He said it appeared the knife was short, something he believed, it saved his son’s life.
‘Ofa said his son mostly sleeps all day today.
It is believed Tali’eiki was having a party with friends before the alleged attack.
‘Ofa said Police were still trying to piece together events surrounding the incidents.
He took to Facebook this morning and shared photos taken of his son in hospital.
He wrote that he
wished he could share his son’s pain.
He prayed that Almighty
God gave his son calmness and serenity.
His post on Facebook
has shocked friends and relatives.
“Divine Mercy we lift up these Person to you
Jesus we Trust in You yr Merciful n yr Miracle to healing his wound n also for
those who are on the beds of illness Amen!” one wrote.
Police are seeking the man in the blue shirt, who allegedly knocked a man out with an unprovoked punch.
Police have appealed for help in identifying two suspects who were allegedly overheard speaking Tongan during a brutal assault at a south Auckland bar.
The
assault was caught on CCTV and was featured on this week’s Police Ten 7 programme and has also been
uploaded to Facebook video clip.
Police said their first
suspect “threw a cowardly punch, instantly knocking out the victim.”
He was then seen walking
off down the East Tamaki road, Papatoetoe.
He was wearing a blue t-shirt, a pair of black trousers and had a distinctive hairstyle worn to his shoulders.
The second suspect saw
the victim on the ground and slapped him
on his head while the victim was still unconscious, Police said.
The second suspect was wearing a Bulldogs rugby league jersey and a Fila satchel bag across his chest, a Raiders baseball cap and blue chains.
It looked like he wanted
to continue the assault but the bouncer intervened, they said.
The incident happened
outside Weighbridge bar, which is frequented by Tongans who hold fundraisings
and performing music there.
One of the witnesses
described the suspects as regulars of the bar, Police reportedly said.
Police believed the
suspects arrived together at the bar in a Honda Odyssey, which was parked at
the car park directly behind the Weighbridge bar.
They also believed the suspects left together in the same vehicle at about 2.43am October 13.
According to the clip,
the bouncer phoned paramedics immediately after the king hit punch while some
members of the public placed the victim in the recovery position.
It took several minutes before
paramedics arrived and during this whole time the victim did not regain
consciousness, Police said.
“The second suspect was
around the scene watching the commotion. After the first police unit arrived
then he decided to leave and walked in the same direction as the first suspect.”
The victim, who appeared
intoxicated, was hospitalised for three days after suffering a brain bleed,
Police said.
He was placed in a
medically induced coma and required six weeks off work.
He is having issues with
his eyesight as well as balance.
“He is in a long road to
recovery,” Police said.
No arrests had been made
and the police investigation was ongoing.
Weighbridge bar was
previously known by the Tongan name Hala Vuna bar at the corner of East Tamaki road
and Great South road.
The main points
Police have appealed for help in
identifying two suspects who were allegedly overheard speaking Tongan during a
brutal assault at a south Auckland bar.
The assault was caught on CCTV and
was featured on this week’s Police Ten 7
programme and has also been uploaded to Facebook video clip.
Two men described as leaders of a drug syndicate smuggling methamphetamine from California have been given lengthy prison terms.
In the High Court in Auckland this morning, Tevita Sitanilei Kulu was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment and Tevita Matangi Fangupo to 17 years.
The pair sneaked meth in from California over a period of seven months, between June 2017 and January 2018.
Both were found guilty of numerous charges of importing meth, as well as conspiring and attempting to import the drug.
They pleaded guilty for firearm offences.
Justice Downs said that all the offending was reasonably sophisticated and had a pattern.
“All of the methamphetamine came here by post. All came to Auckland. Each package had a similar consignment note. Each package declared clothing, most with reference to the Nike label. Most packages desribed their contents as a gift [and] most contained Nike footwear,” he said.
Five packages were caught at the New Zealand border and contained 14.8kg of meth, two were caught at the United States border an contained at least 4.1kg of meth and four other packages were not detected by officials.
Justice Downs told both men they were motivated by profit.
“Mr Kulu, you had $215,000 in your apartment when you were arrested, photographs on your phone show bundles and bundles of cash,” he said.
“In one conversation you said you had never dreamt you would count so much.”
Justice Downs said while Mr Fangupo was not found with large amounts of cash, there was evidence he hoped to make millions.
“You made a note saying you hoped to make $12.9 m in a single year, the note contains calculations on how you would do so, essentially by importing kilogram after kilogram of methamphetamine to New Zealand,” he said.
Justice Mathew Downs said both men would have to serve half of their sentence before being eligible for parole.
Two others who were lesser involved in the drug syndicate were also handed prison sentences today.
Toni Rajendra Finau, 28, was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison and Halene James Ikiuia, 28, was sentenced to three years and four months.
The public gallery was packed with friends of family supporting the four men.
Police are
appealing for help to identify two suspects following a brutal assault at a
south Auckland bar.
Police said their first suspect “threw a cowardly punch
instantly knocking out the victim.”
The second suspect saw the victim on the ground and he slapped him on his head whilst
the victim was still unconscious, Police said.
The second suspect was wearing a bulldogs rugby league jersey
and up filler sexual bag, a raiders baseball cap and blue chains.
It looked like he
wanted to continue the assault but the bouncer has intervened, they said.
The first suspect was then seen walking off down the East
Tamaki road.
He was wearing a blue t-shirt, a pair of black trousers and
has a “distinctive hairstyle.”
The incident happened outside Weighbridge bar, which was
frequented by Tongans who held fundraisings and performing music there.
One of the witnesses described the suspects as speaking
Tongan.
Police believed the suspects arrived together at the bar in a
Honda Odyssey which was parked at the car park directly behind the Weighbridge
bar.
They also believed the suspects left together in the same vehicle
at about 2.43am October 12.
They had been regulars at the bar, according to witnesses.
No arrests had been made and the police investigation was
ongoing, a spokeswoman said.
The bouncer phoned paramedics immediately and some members of
the public placed the victim in the recovery position.
It took several minutes before paramedics arrived and during
this whole time the victim hasn’t regained consciousness.
The second suspect was around the scene watching the
commotion. After the first police unit arrived then he decided to leave and walked
in the same direction as the first suspect.
The victim, who appeared intoxicated, was hospitalized for three
days after he suffered a brain bleed, Police said.
He was placed in a medically induced coma and required six
weeks off work.
He’s having issues with his eyesight as well as balance.
There is fear of a significant escalation in a Chinese
business feud following protests and disputes that got out of hand last week in
Tofoa.
A lawyer, the Chinese Ambassador’s office and police were
called in an attempt to disrupt the demonstration.
A group of Chinese arrived and protested outside the Tonga De
Xing Construction Hardware store at Tofoa.
Photos circulated on social media showed what appeared to be three Chinese holding a banner in front of De Xing building.
Texts written in the banner read: “De Xing Construction Owner
Wenhao Lin. Cheat Investors’ Money and Deny Repayment.”
A source at the company who did not want to be named, described the protestors’ actions to Kaniva news as “instigating a fight” and “causing disturbances.”
He said a protest of the same nature was staged last year and
it ended up with some people being charged and eventually appearing in court.
He described that protest as “huge” and “threatening.”
The source said the company’s lawyer, Hon Samiu Vaipulu, who is also the Minister of Trade and Economic Development attempted to intervene but to no avail.
Police arrived but they did not immediately have the required
warrant to be able to clamp down on the demonstrations.
The source said there was serious concern raised about the repeated protests and they had to be stopped.
No further details of the protest were made available to Kaniva news.
Public reaction
Meanwhile, there was a public reaction to photos which
appeared to have been taken at the scene and shared on social media
One photo appears to show Hon. Vaipulu about to get into his
van while a loud speaker and a stool were shown lying by the vehicle with the
stool at the back and the loud speaker near the front of the van.
Some online users alleged that the minister disrupted the
protest and threw away the protesters’ loud speaker and stool.
However, our source denied this and claimed the loud speaker
and the stool were thrown away by those involved in the incident.
The Chinese Ambassador office, the protesters and Hon. Vaipulu could not be reached for comments.
The
main points
There
is fear of a significant escalation in a Chinese business feud following
protests and disputes that got out of hand last week in Tofoa.
A
lawyer, the Chinese Ambassador’s office
and police were called in an attempt to disrupt the demonstration.
The
hospital is now to be known as Princess Fusipala hospital.
Fusipala was the half-sister of Late Queen Sālote Tupou III of Tonga.
The king opened the new TOP$5.03 million health facility yesterday.
As Kaniva reported previously, the project was part of a US$20 million reconstruction project funded by ADB and other donors through Cyclone Ian Reconstruction project to build housing, electricity, solar system, sanitation and hospital after the cyclone struck the islands in 2014.
It was the most powerful storm ever recorded in Tonga, which passed directly over Ha’apai, taking part of the hospital’s roof.
The
opening ceremony came after delays in the process because the location for the
new hospital was not immediately available.
There was also a petition launched by the Haʻapai High School Parents Teachers Association with the government raising their concerns over the building of the hospital near the school in Pangai.
The
new hospital replaced the old Niu’ui hospital which was located in Hihifo in
Lifuka.
The first Tongan woman to work in Australia in its Pacific
Labour Scheme is Mariska Koso of ‘Ananā.
Koso will be joined by another 42 workers who are expected
to leave Tonga next week to work under the scheme.
“The Pacific Labour Scheme allows people from Pacific island
countries to work in low and semi-skilled jobs in rural and regional Australia
for up to 3 years.”
The scheme gives advice and assistance to employers and
employees to help them understand their workplace rights and obligations.
This means the employees under the scheme have the same
workplace rights as other employees in Australia.
Koso met with the Australian High Commission’s Second
Secretary, Leon Braun, who congratulated her and wished her all the best.
“This is an exciting moment for both our countries,” Mr
Braun, who manages Australia’s labour mobility programs in Tonga said.
“The Pacific Labour Scheme opens up great opportunities for
Tongans to earn income and learn new skills in Australia for up to three years,
and is helping Australian employers in a variety of industries overcome
regional labour shortages.”
Miss Koso worked in Tasmania last year for six months under
the Seasonal Worker’s Programme.
“This is an opportunity not just for me, but also for my
family. Through this work, I can help my father and pay for my younger
siblings’ education,” Mariska was reported as saying.
She will work in
Tasmania over the next three years in housekeeping and cooking.
The Pacific Labour Scheme commenced on 1 July 2018 following
a successful pilot program in northern Australia and building on the success of
the Seasonal Worker Programme.
Police arrested a 30-year-old man from Nakolo with methamphetamine, a firearm and bullets.
The
accused was stopped while driving a vehicle with two different license plates.
Police seized four packs of methamphetamine (3.39 grams), one .22 rifle that was loaded, 53 live bullets and drug utensils. Police also seized 9.77 grams of cannabis from his residence.
Police
have charged the accused with the unlawful possession of illicit drugs, firearm
and ammunition.
A 29-year-old man from Nakolo was also arrested and charged with unlawful possession of 1.00 gram of cannabis, and one live bullet.
Both
accused are in police custody while investigation continues.
Anyone
with information can contact Police on 922, 22784 or the nearest Police station
to you.
A Sri Lankan man who tried to board a flight from Tonga to New Zealand
using a forged French passport is facing deportation.
However, the Supreme Court said it would
not make him serve the two year prison sentence originally imposed on
him, but which was suspended.
On May 10 2018 the accused, Vaseeth Samsudeen, was in Tonga and two days later tried to leave, on both occasions using a fraudulent document.
On April 17 this year he was convicted of two counts of knowingly dealing with a forged document and was sentenced to two years in prison. This was suspended on condition that he left the kingdom within two months. He was told he could ask the court for an extension of time if there were exceptional circumstances.
He failed to leave Tonga and therefore appeared before the court for
sentencing.
Lord Chief Justice Whitten said Samsudeen had been unable to obtain a
visa either for his final destination or any transiting country.
The prosecution wanted the judge to make Mr Samsudeen serve his full
sentence. Mr Justice Whitten said Samsudeen’s supporters were still trying to
raise funds for a ticket and to obtain a visa.
Samsudeen said he did not want to return to Sri Lanka because he feared being harmed there.
Additional enquiries were made at the judge’s order about other options,
including contacting the UNHCR about his case for asylum.
Judge Whitten ordered that the matter be referred to the Principal
Immigration Officer to take whatever steps were necessary to remove Mr
Samsudeen from Tonga.
The main points
A Sri Lankan man who tried to board a flight from
Tonga to New Zealand using a forged French passport is facing deportation.
However, the Supreme Court said it would not make him serve the two year prison
sentence originally imposed on him, but which was suspended.
Online
users are warning people to be on the lookout for a man offering deposited
furniture maintenance work in Tongatapu.
The owner of the Liku’alofa
Beach Resort alleged on Facebook a man of Indian descent has approached them saying
he can repair old chairs and replace their covers.
They paid him a deposit before he took off taking with him their chairs, she told Kaniva news.
The owner said they contacted the man later but his phone was off.
They wanted their friends on Facebook to help provide them with the man’s address or a phone number in which he can be reached.
The post raised concerns and responses from a number of
readers.
A commenter claimed a woman went
with a police officer to the man after he did not fulfill a promise.
Another asked for the man’s phone number. A responder gave an address.
One commenter said they bumped into the man at their workplace and he refunded their money after they confronted him.
