Tonga Police farewelled Superintendent Siaosi Fanamanu, a New Zealand Police advisor, after three and a half-years of service on 21 January, at Longolongo.

Police Commissioner Stephen Caldwell said since 2008 the Tonga Police Development Program (TPDP) sponsored by the New Zealand and Australian Governments had made major contributions to the Tonga Police, building community safety with significant funding provided for infrastructure and training opportunities for staff.

"Policing is about people and the real value of TPDP is the calibre of our advisors the values, experience and skills they share with us and none more so than Supt. Fanamanu," he said.

Siaosi, who grew up in Haveluloto, migrated with his family to New Zealand when he was seven. He came after the Nuku’alofa riots in December 2006 to help Tonga Police for six-months. He returned to New Zealand only to come back with his family in 2012 to help Tonga Police.

Commissioner Caldwell said he had initally worked with Siaosi in Otara and Team Policing in Otahuhu, South Auckland for many years.

“You could always count on him to be there when it mattered. He is a courageous officer that never backed away from anything and he was totally dependable.”

Siaosi assisted in the development of various areas such as domestic violence, frontline response, road policing, marine search and rescue among others.