One of New Zealand’s largest bus companies – Ritchies Transport Holdings –pleaded guilty before an Auckland court on Monday to failing to comply with New Zealand healthy and safety regulations in relation to a bus crash in 2016 near the city of Gisborne in which three Tongan passengers died. 

The exact details of how the bus company failed to follow regulations as well as how significantly it contributed to the tragedy remains unconfirmed by local reports, but will be revealed upon sentencing. Sentencing will be decided on 10 June.

The bus was carrying a visiting delegation of over fifty students, staff and associates from Mailefihi Siu'ilikutapu College in Vava’u. They were on route to Gisborne from Auckland to perform a concert when their bus skidded off a highway and into a ditch, resulting in the deaths of Sione Taumalolo (11), Talita Fifita (33) and Leotisia Malakai (55).

In the months following the tragedy, New Zealand Police laid careless driving charges against the driver of the bus, Talakai Aholelei (65). He was sentenced to five-and-a-half-months home detention.