A father of six children, Alani Afu (51), who was extradicted from Tonga to Australia in 2016 on murder charges, was yesterday convicted of murder by the New South Wales Supreme Court in relation to the stabbing death of a Sydney woman Rita Caleo in 1990.  Rita’s husband Mark Caleo was found guilty of hiring Alani to carry out the murder.

Alani was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment whilst his former employer Mark Caleo (55) was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment. The court revealed that Alani worked as a bouncer for a restaurant owned by Mr Caleo, and was offered $10,000 by Mr Caleo to kill his wife Rita Caleo.

According to prosecutors, the hit was carried out on the night of August 10, 1990 when Alani stabbed Rita 23 times in her home in what was made to look like a botched burglary. It was revealed that Rita’s brother Michael Chye was shot and killed in 1989 in similar circumstances – a case that remains unsolved. A letter written by Rita, accused her husband and another man of being responsible for her brother’s death.

Alani Afu’s conviction comes less than year since an Australian court convicted another Tongan man of being a hired killer – Tevi Koloamatangi (47) was found guilty of being hired to shoot to death a man outside a night club in Wollongong in 2007.