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Police minister sets expectations for commissioner around law & order

By
Kaniva Staff
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By rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission

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.

Purported Royal Palace letter mocked for using dates that have not happened yet

By
Kalino Latu
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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.

Two brothers and cousin found guilty of murdering Tongan grandmother

By
Kaniva Staff
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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.”

Sentencing will be held in February 2024.

Tongan Cabinet Minister  and former Minister of Finance threaten each other with calls for investigation into roads and housing spending

By
Kalino Latu
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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.

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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”. 

Rainwater tanks in Tonga often contaminated – study

By
Kaniva Staff
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By rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission

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.

No sprinklers, no alarms at church housing damaged by fire in Māngere Bridge

By
Kaniva Staff
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The blaze damaged four buildings behind a Tongan church in Māngere Bridge. Photo: RNZ

The blaze damaged four buildings behind a Tongan church in Māngere Bridge. Photo: RNZ

Families who lost their homes in a fire in Auckland’s Māngere Bridge are lucky to be alive, Fire and Emergency (FENZ) believes.

Four families have been displaced after their homes burnt to the ground on Coronation Road around 3am.

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.

“It was very lucky that all of these people got out of the fire in time” – FENZ assistant commander Chris Delfos

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.

Fire damages multiple houses in Māngere Bridge

By
Kaniva Staff
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By rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission

Multiple houses have been damaged by fire early this morning in Māngere Bridge.

Fire and Emergency said the fire on Coronation Road was first reported just before 3am and had burned through multiple properties.

The exact number was not yet known.

The fire’s location was behind a Tongan church and pre-school, but a FENZ spokesperson said they were not aware of any damage to that building.

They said at its peak, 14 crews attended and the fire had since been put out.

Residents were evacuated to a nearby church, where they had received food and shelter.

Savai’i Naea lives on the street and told RNZ he was woken in the early hours by neighbours knocking on his door telling him to wake up and get out.

“So I woke my daughter and she went outside and said, ‘It’s fire’. I got all my kids and we came outside.”

Four crews remained on site, dampening down hotspots and a fire investigator was also at the scene.

No injuries were reported.

Fancy grabbing a gondola out to the airport in Auckland

By
Kaniva Staff
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By rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission

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.”

Aerial cable car in Sentosa City

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.

Doppelmayr NZ chief executive Garreth Hayman

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.”

Hawai‘i Police arrest Tongan suspect after hijacking vehicle at gunpoint

By
Kaniva Staff
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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.

Woman shares sister’s graphic photos after alleged hit and run on Tongatapu

By
Kaniva Staff
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A woman has appealed to the public to help locate an alleged offender who she said was responsible for her sister’s injuries.

The woman posted a montage to show what appeared to be her sister’s bloodied face and bruises to Facebook.

Kaniva News was unable to confirm the authenticity of the photos.

The woman claimed her sister’s partner had also suffered similar injuries.

She alleged the pair had sought help from the Nukunuku police on Tongatapu before they could make their own way to the hospital.

Tongan authorities could not be reached for comment.

Commenters who knew the woman on Facebook had been curious to know whether the victim was her own sister.

“Is this Mā’ata”, a commenter asked, in an attempt to identify the victim.

The woman has yet to respond to the question.

“I love you my dear sister”, she wrote in Tongan.

The woman appeared to imply that her sister and her partner were victims of a vehicle hit and run incident.

In Tongan she said of the driver: “Na’a faifai pea ke ‘alu ‘o ‘efihia ha feitu’u ‘e faka’uli ho’o me’a na’e fai”

Commenters also shared their sympathy with the woman.

“So sad, was it a hit and run”, one commenter asked.

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