AUD$1.1million for Police Development Program [1]
Thursday, March 12, 2015 - 18:29. Updated on Saturday, March 14, 2015 - 09:41.
The Australian Government has committed AUD$1,191,094 million to support the continuation of a Tonga Police Development Program (TPDP) for 2014-15.
The Prime Minister Hon ‘Akilisi Pohiva and the Acting Australian High Commissioner to Tonga Sophie Temby signed a Subsidiary Arrangement at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
TPDP is a tripartite agreement between the Governments of Australia, New Zealand and Tonga. Since 2008, the Australian and New Zealand Governments have provided financial support to the program, which is aimed at rebuilding an effective and efficient Tonga Police.
Over the years, projects funded included leadership trainings for officers and construction of various police stations throughout Tongatapu and in the outer islands.
In addition, the installation of a new CCTV surveillance system at the Nuku’alofa Police station in 2013 was funded under this program. This came after the death of a New Zealand Police Officer Kali Fungavaka in 2012, after sustaining serious injuries while in custody.