12 May 2014

Clamp on final submissions in Tonga trial

5:12 pm on 12 May 2014

The Tonga Supreme Court has suppressed media coverage of the final submission made by legal counsel for five police officers charged over the death of a New Zealand police officer.

Kali Fungavaka died in hospital after being assaulted while in police custody in August 2012.

Final submissions in the trial of the five officers on manslaughter charges began today after a series of delays last week due to illness.

Radio Tonga reports Justice Charles Cato's reasons for the media clamp have not been made public.

The trial of a sixth man accused over the killing, a civilian, is set to begin next week.