Ashika victim's brother weeps as he recalls tragedy [1]
Friday, March 11, 2011 - 18:17. Updated on Wednesday, September 11, 2013 - 10:06.
THE brother of Vaefetu'u Mahe (22) whose body was one of only two recovered after the sinking of the MV Princess Ashika in his evidence on March 10, said he identified his sister's body at the Vaiola Hospital mortuary following its recovery on August 6, 2009.
Pita Taufa who was in tears while recollecting the events that took place after the Ashika sank told the Supreme Court that Vaefetu'u was returning to Vava'u with her husband and Fetaulaki Mahe (24) and their three-year old son, Monti Mahe.
Fetaulaki and Monti also died in the sinking, but their bodies were never recovered.
The five accused who are on trial, former SCP Managing Director John Jonesse, Ashika Captain Makahokovalu Tuputupu, Acting Director of Marine Viliami Tu'ipulotu and First Mate Semisi Pomale and the Shipping Corporation of Polynesia Ltd., are similarly charged with one count each of manslaughter by negligence in relation to the death of Vaefetu'u Mahe.
Identified
The Ashika sank just before midnight on August 5, 2009, but Pita told the court they did not hear about the sinking of the Ashika until the morning of August 6, 2009.
He and his wife went down to the shipping office and were told that the Ashika had indeed sunk but there was no further information apart from that.
They went home and later heard there was a list of survivors who were rescued on the MV Pulupaki. "When I saw the list I did not see Vaefetu'u's name nor her husband and son," he said.
Pita said they later heard on the news that a body of a woman had been recovered. "At this stage we had no hope that we would ever find her body but my wife urged me to still stop by at Vaiola hospital and check. When we got to the hospital mortuary there was a police officer there and we inquired about the deceased that was found. We didnt know it was her at that time, but when the police officer showed us her picture we immediately saw it was Vaefetu'u," he said.
Pita had initially identified Vaefetu'u's clothes that she wore on the day of the voyage, which was a grey t-shirt and faded denim jeans.
Death Registration
In tears, he told the court that after seeing the picture he asked the police officer whether he could see her and he was led to where she was kept at the refrigeration.
He said when he saw her skin was different as it was black and her stomach had swollen up perhaps because of the water.
"Shocking as it may be but she was crying because she had on that [same] facial expression when she cried while she was still alive," said the witness.
Crown Prosecutor Sione Sisifa gave Pita a picture of Vaefetu'u taken after she was recovered and he confirmed it as Vaefetu'u.
Inquest
Pita added that an inquest was conducted over her death and concluded that Vaefetu'u drowned at sea in Ha'apai.
He said he n registered her death at the Registrar's office in Nuku'alofa on March 9, 2010.
The Crown Prosecutor showed him a copy of the death registration that read Vaefetu'u Mahe received on March 9, 2010 and stated cause of death was "drowning at sea in Ha'apai."
Pita confirmed this as the true death registration issued for Vaefetu'u.