Over 400 suspects charged in Nuku'alofa CBD destruction [1]
Tuesday, December 5, 2006 - 19:16. Updated on Monday, May 19, 2014 - 19:15.
As of today, December 5, over 400 suspects have been charged by the Tonga Police for arson, theft and other offences relating to their participation in the destruction of the Nuku'alofa business centre on November 16.
The Tongan Police Commander Sinilau Kolokihakaufisi said today that by yesterday they had arrested a total of 571 suspects, with 108 still detained in police custody.
Sinilau said the current detainees were divided and kept in various prison cells in Nukunuku, Mu'a, Vaini and Nuku'alofa police stations.
He also added that there were still suspects at large and said the police, "are working tirelessly with their investigations to charge them with all the various destructive crimes that took place on Thursday November 16."
Meanwhile, the official death toll remains at seven and the six bodies that have yet to be identified are being kept at a temporary mortuary at the police station, while awaiting identification from DNA samples sent to Australia for processing.
Magistrate's Court
Suspects charged with arson, theft and other crimes would begin to appear at the Nuku'alofa Magistrate's Court on December 20.
The Commander said that the Magistrate's Court would resume its normal court sessions on December 7 at the Nukunuku Police Station with its normal traffic cases and other cases that were postponed.
The suspects that are already charged with the crimes of the riots would not appear in court until December 20 at the Tonga National Center, he said because there are so many of them and police investigations and arrests were still ongoing.