Tonga’s Acting Attorney General says the children of Kali Fungavaka cannot launch a proceeding to seek compensation from government and it is late for them to do so.
‘Aminiasi Kefu told Kaniva News the settlement agreed between the Tongan government and Fungavaka’s widow Audra Watt entitled the children to some of the money.
He said the widow will set up a trust for that purpose and to benefit the children.
The Attorney General’s Office will supervise the setting up of the trust for the children.
The AG’s comment was made after it was revealed New Zealand based lawyer Kahungunu Afeaki would launch a proceeding on behalf of the children to seek compensation from the Tongan government.
Afeaki did not respond to our request for comment but he told New Zealand newshub “they planned to launch their own proceedings and he says he knows nothing of any money or apology”.
Fungavaka’s first wife Cally Ruahe and mother of his five children only found out earlier this week that a settlement had been reached between the Tongan government and the widow.
“It first came to my attention when my brother sent me a text asking if I had seen a newsfeed on Facebook, until he sent me a screen grab of article and that’s how I came to know about it,” she was quoted by newshub as saying.
The Tongan Government has announced it will apologise to the family of Kali Fungavaka who was killed in the kingdom after an assault in police custody four years ago.
