The Crown in opening its case today in the murder trial of a Chinese couple, Mr Feng Sheng Pei and Mrs Su Jie Wen, who were found with multiple stab wounds at a vegetable plantation last year, submitted that the accused Sitiveni ‘Esi Muli (17) had intended to commit the murders.

Prosecutor 'Aminiasi Kefu, Attorney General and Director of Public Prosecutions, in his outline of the Crown's case, alleged that on Sunday, February 25, 2018 Muli and his friend Sami Kaho Jr went to the couple’s vegetable plantation, at Matafonua in Lakepa.

He said the Crown would rely on Kaho's evidence, which he will give on January 10, the first of the Crown's nine witnesses.

At the same time, another witness will reveal in her evidence that the accused had at one point worked for the couple and that she allegedly witnessed the accused and the husband Pei arguing over his salary. The accused is alleged to have been upset and had voiced threats against Pei, said the Prosecutor.

The court was told that Kaho too was charged with murder but after reviewing the evidence, believed he did not have anything to do with the murder. Kaho will give evidence for the Crown and explain what he saw.

The prosecutor said there are only two people who are alive and eyewitnesses to this, and they are the accused Muli and Kaho. 

The Crown's evidence is that the two arrived and hid in the bush before going behind a vehicle, while the victims were working on their vegetable plantation. 

The husband, Pei saw the accused Muli and walked over to him. It is alleged that Muli was holding a pair of scissors he got from the vehicle, when Pei asked him why he was there.

They started to argue before the accused pushed Pei and ran. Pei then is said to have taken hold of a machete and ran after the accused and threw the machete at him.

The accused came back and picked up the machete. He and Pei then started to pull on it, until the accused pushed Pei and he fell. At this time, Wen, the wife came to help her husband and this was when the accused used the scissors and machete and assaulted them, the Prosecutor submitted.

After the murder, the accused and Kaho fled in the couple’s vehicle to Fua’amotu. Police in their investigation found them because the accused had used a mobile phone belonging to the victims.

In addition, a few days after his arrest, the accused had also demonstrated to Police how the offence occurred, from the plantation to where they were arrested. 

Intention

The Prosecutor then put to the jury that the accused had the intention to murder the couple.

He said that in this trial, there were elements which must be completed in a murder charge, and the accused had accepted some of the elements, including that it was him and that his actions had caused the deaths of the victims.

However, the accused rejected one element that he had the intention to commit the murders. “That is left for the jury to consider but based on the evidence that the Crown would present, we submit yes, the accused had the intention to murder the couple,” the prosecutor submitted.

The Crown will also rely on the accused's confession recorded during his interrogation by Tonga Police, in which he confessed to the offences. Photo exhibits and evidence from doctors and police investigators also support its case.

Held at the Supreme Court, the Crown's case is expected to run for the rest of the week in the trial by judge Hon. Mr Justice Cato and a jury.

The accused is represented by counsel Sifa Tu'utafaiva.