3 Sep 2012

More witnesses in Tonga investigation into NZ police death

12:13 pm on 3 September 2012

More witnesses have come forward in the case of the New Zealand police officer killed in Tonga.

The Tongan police say Kali Fungavaka was assaulted in a police cell 10 days ago, after being arrested on a minor drunkenness charge outside the Time Out bar in the capital, Nuku'alofa.

Two police officers are appearing in court today and a civilian who also allegedly assaulted Mr Fungavaka will appear later this month.

The Police Commissioner, Grant O'Fee, says investigators are still piecing together what happened.

"But we are gathering more and more information. We ran an operation in central Nuku'alofa on Friday night outside that bar and we were very gratified that a good response, about 27 people came forward with littel bits of information and that's all being evauluated right now."

Grant O'Fee is urging anyone who was in the Time Out bar or outside it around midnight on August the 24th to speak to police.