Sevuloni Busa- Fiji Fisherman
"Fisherman Sevuloni Busa told FBC News he was out at sea with nine other villagers when they saw the Tongan navy patrol boat at Cape Washington in Kadavu. The fishermen say the captain of the Tongan ship spoke to them by radio claiming they were from the Vanuatu navy and were on their way to Vanuatu when they received a distress signal.
The local fishermen say they could see the ship number 203 on the side of the ship and Busa says he could make out the name."
Matangi Tonga article excerpt:
Ratu Tevita remains "a man rescued at sea".
16 May 2011, 22:12
Nuku'alofa Tonga:
The Lauan chief, Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba Mara, is believed to be staying at Consular House on Vuna Road on the Nuku'alofa waterfront, as a guest of his kinsman, King George Tupou V while exchanges fly between the Fiji and Tonga governments.
Cmdr Bainimarama has declared Ratu Tevita a fugitive who jumped bail without surrendering his passport as ordered by a Fijian court on May 3, and who was also expected to appear in court in Suva on May 30 to face charges of sedition.
Ratu Tevita Mara's entrance into Tonga with the Tongan navy, raised the question if he had used his Fijian passport to enter the country. Today no one in the Immigration Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs knew anything about the legality of how he had entered the country, but a senior officer in immigration said he would check and come back with an answer. But when government closed for the day it was not clear whether or not Ratu Tevita Mara had been subjected to the usual Tongan immigration procedure.
The Chief Secretary and the Secretary to Cabinet Busby Kautoke said that Ratu Tevita Mara's status in Tonga remains to be "a man rescued at sea."
As of this afternoon, Busby said they had not received any request from Cmdr Bainimarama for the rescued man to be extradited back to Fiji.
Under Tonga's Extradition Act 1988 Fiji is one of the designated countries that an individual could be extradited back to, and the Act clearly sets out the procedure of how an individual could be extradited to a designated country.
An extradition process can be authorised only by the Tongan Prime Miniser, Lord Tu'ivakano, on a request made by the Prime Minister of Fiji or an official on the behalf of the government of Fiji.
Consular House
Meanwhile Ratu Tevita Mara is staying at the Consular House on Vuna Road on the Nuku'alofa waterfront, the residence of the British High Commissioner in Tonga and now a property of the king. It is frequently used as a guest house for visiting dignitaries and friends of the royal family.
Ratu Tevita, so far, is inaccessible, despite the fact that he stressed in his YouTube video that he wanted to come to Nuku'alofa so that he can speak freely and tell the truth about what is going on in Fiji.
The Fijian strongman, Prime Minister Commodore Bainimarama, has accused Tonga for an infringement of Fiji's Sovereignty when the Tongan Navy last week responded to a distress call and rescued Lieutenant Colonel Ratu Tevita Mara from sea and brought him to Nuku'alofa.
Images of Kadavu from Google.
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Close up of Nagiagia resort.
The excerpt of Radio Fiji news article:
Fijian fishermen saw Tonga naval ship in Kadavu
Wednesday, May 18, 2011Local fishermen have told FBC News they saw the Tongan naval ship ‘Savea’ in waters just off Kadavu on the day the Tongan navy says it rescued former 3FIR Commander Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba Mara in waters south off Ono-i-Lau.
Local villagers working in nearby Nagigia Island Resort in Kadavu also say Mara was at the resort on Sunday the 8th of May.New Zealand maritime authorities and the Fiji navy also confirm they did not receive any distress signal although the distress frequency is internationally monitored by regional countries 24 hours.Fisherman Sevuloni Busa told FBC News he was out at sea with nine other villagers when they saw the Tongan navy patrol boat at Cape Washington in Kadavu.
The fishermen say the captain of the Tongan ship spoke to them by radio claiming they were from the Vanuatu navy and were on their way to Vanuatu when they received a distress signal.The local fishermen say they could see the ship number 203 on the side of the ship and Busa says he could make out the name.“I can recall, Havea or Savea was written on the side.”The fishermen told the captain they had not sent a distress signal and the ship moved on.
Busa told FBC News that an hour earlier they had seen the launch supposedly carrying Mara speed past them – and the fishermen identified it as the boat that was at Nagigia Resort.This was later verified by staff at the resort.
Busa’s story contradicts accounts by the Tongan navy of how they rescued Mara off Ono-i-Lau.Local fishermen says it is virtually unheard of to go fishing in Ono-i-Lau from Kadavu given the distance.Questions are also being raised as to how only the Tongan navy ship heard the distress call, and no other maritime authority in the region.
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