No formal complaints have been made to Tonga's Ministry of Health following reports that suspects held in connection with the events of 16/11 had been beaten by police and members of the Tonga Defence Service while in custody.

Dr Siale 'Akau'ola, the Medical Supervisor at Vaiola Hospital, said today that they had not received any request for the hospital to investigate any alleged assaults of people who were in the custody of the police, but he had read in the local newspaper about the alleged claims being made.

Dr 'Akau'ola said that he had inquired with the outpatients ward if there were any such cases and he was told by one of the doctors, that there were about two or three cases where people had allegedly been hurt while being arrested and were treated for minor bruises and discharged.

He said that no one had asked them to carry out an investigation into the alleged matter and there had been no formal complaint.

"There has also been no request by the police for any medical assistance with regards to any cases of prisoners at the police station," said Dr 'Akau'ola. "Still we are keeping a watchful eye on any concerns such as any contagious disease that may appear in patients like fever, and knowing there are a large number of people in prison we can investigate it in terms of public health, which is routine, but at this point there are none."

NCWC upset

Meanwhile, Dr Toakasi Fakakovikaetau and other staff of the Tonga National Centre for Women and Children (NCWC), told Television Tonga tonight that the centre was not responsible for the release of a report containing the allegations of abuse of suspects in custody, and they were upset that the author of the report had released it before showing it to them.

She said that a report written by a former Australian volunteer Gus Mclean alleging "The systematic torture and abuse of prisoners by the Government of Tonga following civil unrest in November 2006" was released under the NCWC 's name on the internet. The author later showed parts of it to the NCWC, but she said the NCWC did not agree to support the allegations.

Gus Mclean told Television Tonga the report had served its purpose in drawing attention to possible Human Rights abuses.