Extradited Tongan charged with Sydney murder [1]
Friday, September 30, 2016 - 13:43
‘Alani Afu (49) otherwise known as ‘Alani Koloamatangi was extradited to Australia on Thursday morning, September 29 escorted by two New South Wales police officers on a Virgin direct flight from Fua'amotu International Airport to Sydney, where he was charged with murder he had allegedly committed some 26-years ago.
Tonga Police in Nuku'alofa confirmed today the accsued was escorted on the flight after Tonga Police transferred custody to NSW Police, in accordance with the extradition order.
Tonga Police and Australian Federal Police members in Tonga supported the NSW Police to facilitate the extradition.
At the same time, NSW Police Force stated today the Tongan accused arrived at Sydney Airport at just after 10:00am and was taken to Surry Hills Police Station.
He was charged with murder and refused bail to appear at the Central Local Court today, Friday September 30. He is charged with the murder of Rita Caleo (39) who was stabbed a number of times in her home at Double Bay on August 10, 1990.
Case reopened
Strike Force Nichola was set up by the Homicide Squad’s Unsolved Homicide Team to investigate the deaths of brother and sister Dr Michael Chye (36) and Rita Caleo.
Dr Chye was shot three times as he drove into his garage at Woollahara on October 16, 1989. His sister Rita was stabbed a number of times in her home the following year.
The Unsolved Homicide Team reopened the case for reinvestigation in 2011 and two men remain before the court after they were arrested by detectives in 2014 and 2015.
Following further investigations, detectives identified another man whom they alleged was involved in Rita's murder. Their inquiries revealed that he lived in Tonga.
Detectives then applied for and were granted his extradition and travelled to Tonga where the man was arrested earlier this week.
Appeal dismissed
Tonga’s Court of Appeal on September 14 in Nuku’alofa dismissed 'Alani Afu's application against his extradition.
A Magistrate in Nuku’alofa had initially remanded him in custody for extradition to Australia. But he applied to the Supreme Court for a writ of habeas corpus under s.10 of the Extradition Act, in which a Supreme Court judge dismissed, resulting in his appeal to the Appeal Court.
The Appeal Court had revealed that in August 1997, 'Alani was deported from Australia to Tonga after serving an imprisonment sentence for unrelated offence of armed robbery.
For this murder charge, he was alleged to have been paid to kill the victim.
Since coming to Tonga, he had not offended and got married with six children, while working in a stevedoring business for 13-years.