Tonga Police offer bounty for escaped New Zealander and Fijian

Tonga Police are offering a reward of up to TP$5000 (approximately NZ$3400) for information that leads to the recapture of two men who escaped from custody at the Central Police Station in Nuku'alofa on Sunday. The escapees have been identified as Liuaki Kokohu VI, a 35-year-old New Zealand citizen of Tongan descent, and Adam Hussein, a 35-year-old Fijian national.

A third individual, a 16-year-old male, who also escaped with the two men, was apprehended by police early Tuesday morning. Police Commissioner Geoff Turner described Kokohu VI as a high-risk escapee due to his criminal history and the serious nature of the offenses he faces.

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For clarity, the reward money is up to 5000 Pa'anga for each individual, but the information must result in their recapture.

Commissioner Turner announced that a parallel investigation has been launched to uncover the circumstances of the escape, including whether corruption or other factors facilitated their departure. "To be able to walk out of a [police] station and pretty much disappear, there is got to be outside help," Turner stated, indicating his belief that external assistance was involved.

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To be able to walk out of a [police] station and pretty much disappear, there is got to be outside help.

The police are also examining the security of the Central Police Station's cells, noting that arrangements were already in place to upgrade the facilities with a specialized company on August 3rd. "Unfortunately, this happened before we could put that process in place to upgrade the cells and the security down there," Turner explained. He assured the public that the planned security upgrades would proceed as scheduled, using existing government-allocated funding.

Police are urging the public not to approach the escapees but to contact them immediately with any information. Tips can be relayed by calling 922 or the mobile number 7401656, which is available 24 hours a day.

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Our budget has been allocated by the government this year. We had funding allocated to us. We are not seeking additional funding, there is funding within our envelope to fix this particular issue.