Results for Police and Crime

A 26 year old man was found dead at Patangata on Wednesday evening, 17 January, a suspected suicide case, according to Deputy Police Commissioner Tevita Vailea.

A unidentified human head, discovered wrapped in a sack and anchored to the ocean floor, near the Yellow Pier in Nuku’alofa, is no longer a suspected homicide, say Tonga Police, who are now investigating the possibility that it was taken from a grave by people holding supernatural beliefs.

Tonga Police Chief Superintendant Commander Filipe Fifita, who heads a homicide investigation, said today he could not disclose anything further about an investigation into human remains, recovered from the seabed at the Yellow Pier in Nuku'alofa on Boxing Day. It is still unclear whether the remains, or body parts, that were recovered belonged to one or more persons or why the Police were regarding the grisly discovery as homicide.

An escaped prisoner Vaha Afemeimo’unga, was arrested at about 7:00 am today, 29 December, by His Majesty’s Prisons officers, at Fatai, Tongatapu, after being on the run for three days.

A prisoner has escaped from Hu'atolitoli Prison on Tongatapu, the Commissioner of Prisons Semisi Tapueluelu confirmed to Matangi Tonga today, although no further details were released. Meanwhile, early this afternoon all Prison Officers who are not on Christmas Duty were recalled and told to report to Hu'atolitoli Prison immediately.

Tonga Police have launched a homicide investigation into unidentified human remains found on the seabed at the Yellow Pier on the Nuku’alofa foreshore, on Christmas Day. They are urging the public to report any missing persons.

After an affray at a pizzeria in the Nuku'alofa CBD yesterday, 12 December, a husband (44) and wife (45) were to appear in the Magistrate's Court today charged with causing bodily harm. Tonga Police said the case was still under investigation and further charges may follow.

Sergeant Sione Puna’ivaha of the Tonga Police Detector Dog Unit, supported the New Zealand Police Pacific Detector Dog Programme (PDDP) to train six new detector dog handlers, in a 3-month course from 25 September to 25 November, in Wellington, New Zealand.

Tonga Police has named ‘Asiata Masima (54) from Ha’ateiho, as the man arrested on Saturday 18 November on a charge of attempted murder after a livestreaming footage via social media.