Stealing at PM’s wife’s grave “disrespectful,” daughter says

Kaiha'asi ha ongo maama teuteu mei he fa'itoka e uaifi 'o e 'Eiki Palēmia 'o Tonga'. 'Oku taku 'eni 'e he fāmili' ko e anga ta'efaka'apa'apa ka 'oku 'ikai ke nau loto ke fai hano lāunga'i ki he kau polisi'.

The alleged theft of two decorative lights from the grave of the Prime Minister’s wife’s Neomai Tu’itupou Pōhiva was disrespectful, a daughter of Hon. Pōhiva said.

The incident occurred just four days after the body of Tonga’s First Lady was buried on December 19.

The Prime Minister’s daughter ‘Ana Koli Fifita said the family had decided not to lodge a complaint with the Police.

She said if such robbery had happened while her mother was still alive Neomai would not complain, implying she was a woman who had a great sense of patience.

Koli said she went to the cemetery early on Sunday morning, December 23, and realised the lights had gone.

She told Kaniva news the lights had been put on top of the grave as a dedication by Neomai’s grandchildren.  

She said she regretted this kind of disrespectful behaviour.

As Kaniva news reported last week, Neomai  was laid to rest at Telekava 1 community cemetery in Kolomotu’a, Nuku’alofa.

The Prime Minister’s 70-year-old wife, who bore him seven children, “died peacefully” after a long battle with cancer.

Koli also posted her complaint on Facebook.

A commentater on her post said the same thing had happened to her husband’s father’s grave after July.

She said they installed a memorial stone, a banner and decorated the grave with lights but when they visited the cemetery again in September the lights had all gone.

Another online writer said the same thing had happened to a relative’s grave nearby.

Another person said Neomai had suffered during the political struggles she and her husband had gone through during her life and now she was dead some unscrupulous people continued to harrass her.

Online comments have denounced the theft of the lights as “evil.”

The main points

  • The alleged theft of two decorative lights from the grave of the Prime Minister’s wife’s Neomai Tu’itupou Pōhiva was disrespectful, a daughter of Hon. Pohiva said.
  • The incident occured just three days after the body of Tonga’s First Lady was buried on December 19.

For more information

Queen Nanasipau‘u leads mourners at First Lady of Tonga’s funeral services

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