NZ policeman dies after assault in Tonga police cell [1]
Thursday, August 23, 2012 - 13:21. Updated on Monday, September 9, 2013 - 18:40.
A distinguished young New Zealand police constable is believed to have died in Vaiola Hospital today, after being assaulted while being held in a police cell last Friday night.
He has been identified as Kali Fungavaka who graduated as a constable from the Royal New Zealand Police College in 2006 after being awarded a New Zealand Bravery Medal.
His family in Tonga were informed he died this morning. An aunt Losaline Piutau from Holonga said that Kali had returned to Tonga to attend his grandfather's funeral at Fua'amotu on Friday August 17.
Arrested
Tonga's police prosecutor Mema Latu said this afternoon that the victim was arrested for alleged drunkenness outside a bar in central Nuku'alofa on Friday night and was put into a cell with four or five other people. He confirmed that the victim's last name was Fungavaka.
Latu said that a male Tongan, Kalisitiane Manu, who was also arrested for drunkenness in a public place on Friday night, had been charged with bodily harm of the victim and would appear in the Magistrate's Court on Monday 27 August.
"That is the charge at this stage and the investigation of the incident is continuing," he said.
Tonga's Acting Deputy Police Commissioner Insp. Soakai Motu'apuaka was not available for comment this morning.
Meanwhile, the New Zealand High Commissioner to Tonga, Jonathan Austin, said that he was informed by the Tonga police of an incident at the weekend involving a New Zealander who was visiting Tonga. "As far as I am aware the person has not died but is in a critical condition in hospital," he said this afternoon.
However, Kali's grandmother Tohu'ia Fungavaka at Fua'amotu said this afternoon that she was informed that Kali had passed away this morning and that his body will be taken back to New Zealand. She said he was about 38 years old and has a family who had already arrived from New Zealand.