A 23 year old man died in an altercation outside a bar on Vuna Road, Nuku'alofa at 10 pm on Saturday July 9 and a private security guard has been charged with his murder.

Police said today they believed that the victim was a student.

A 36-year-old male private security guard at a licensed bar had been charged with murder.

Siteiki Tulumi who was arrested and remanded in police custody following the incident appeared at the Magistrate's Court today, July 12, and was deferred to be submitted to the Supreme Court on 1 August 2011.

Altercation

Police Commissioner Chris Kelley in his Weekly Crime Report with the Deputy Commander Taniela Faletau today, July 12, said the cause of death had not been confirmed at this stage as they had not received the post mortem report.

He said a preliminary inquiry into the incident based on reports from witnesses confirmed that there was an altercation between the two men outside the bar.

The deceased was reported to have never been inside the bar premises but was trying to get in, said Commissioner Kelley.

"There was certainly an altercation with the security guard and shortly after the victim collapsed."

Commissioner Kelley said that a private security guard has the right to refuse entry to a person and their job is to assist the management and make sure the venue is peaceful.

"But they are subject to the same law as any other person and cannot take the law into their own hands and if they find themselves facing trouble they should call the police. They have the power to refuse entry or remove someone, but they are not entitled to manhandle people," he said.