27 Feb 2012

Niue police name offenders in January shooting and arson

7:17 pm on 27 February 2012

Niue's police chief has named the two men charged over January's arson and shooting in the village of Hikutavake.

Mark Chenery says Lionel Tahega has been charged over the arson, which involved damage to a door from a molotov cocktail.

He says 21-year-old Asian Talafasi has been charged with careless use of a firearm and causing actual bodily harm.

Mr Chenery says while the incidents aren't directly linked to last year's series of crimes in Hikutavake, it's a small village.

"I think it's fair to say the problems have just stemmed from one after the other. As a result of these two going to court, we haven't had any further incidents in the last month. Both these men are on strict bail conditions. They'll be hopefully entering pleas when the New Zealand judge comes up in March and we'd like to think that we could get a defended hearing or get this resolved by mid-year for these matters."

Mark Chenery says the defendants are on a nightly curfew and forbidden to drink alcohol.