Three men have been charged in relation to the armed robbery and abduction of five people on Tuesday night 20 November, at a home in Tofoa Police said the hostages who were tied up at Tu'aliku in Ha'ateiho, escaped unharmed last Thursday afternoon.

The accused Mataiasi Taufa, 'Aleki Palanite and 'Alipate Ve'ehala appeared at the Nuku'alofa Magistrate's Court on Monday 26 November, charged with armed robbery.

Magistrate Similoni Tu'akalau accepted the Police Prosecutor's submission for the three accused to be further detained, as police investigation continued. The accused are to appear in court next week.

Police Prosecutor Mema Latu told the court they had not found alleged co-offenders or a weapon alleged to have been used in the crime, and a stolen vehicle C-15530 owned by one of the hostages.

Marijuana

He told the court, the three offenders and other alleged offenders went to a home at Tofoa allegedly looking for marijuana but there was none. Someone contacted another person who then came with his wife in a taxi, but they too came with no marijuana. The offenders got angry and allegedly tied up the five people and took them to the secret location, where they were kept until they managed to escape.

Police Commissioner Grant O'Fee said this afternoon, the offenders and hostages were known to each other. The three accused are aged between 30 to 40-years-old. 

Police were continuing  to look for other co-offenders and the vehicle.

Long time

Police reported last week that one of the male hostages escaped and informed the police on Wednesday morning 21 November about the abduction. However, the remianing hostages did not escape until Thursday afternoon.

Commissioner O'Fee said police had carried out an investigation immediately after they were informed about the abduction, but he confirmed that the hostages escaped on their own.

He did not want tp release any further detail on the case as the matter was now with court.