Best Friend Mourns Former Colleague
“He was like my brother. Someone I loved dearly, he was so special that I could share all my secrets to, even though we were just friends for one year it felt like ages.”
Cathrine Baleinagaga, 23, was left speechless when news of close friend, the late Police Constable Siuta Niumatawalu was relayed to her in Auckland, New Zealand, on Monday night.
Ms Baleinagaga spent a year and a half with Mr Niumataiwalu in the Fiji Police Force before she resigned last month to migrate to New Zealand where she planned to reside with her two sisters in Auckland.
“I had just left Fiji on Sunday (October 20) to go to New Zealand and on Monday night I received news of what happened to him,” she said.
Now she is back for his funeral. “He had contacted me on Monday morning through messenger because he saw my photos on Facebook that I was in New Zealand.
“He is like a brother I loved dearly, he was so special I could share all my secrets with him. We were friends for one year yet it seemed like ages.”
Their friendship began when they were rostered for night shift to patrol the streets near Adams Place community post in Lautoka at the end of last year.
“He had a jovial spirit was fun to hang around with. He was the kind of person who thrived on making people happy,” she said. Ms Baleinagaga said her parents had accompanied her to the Lautoka Police Station chapel for the traditional ‘reguregu’ ceremony.
She will return to New Zealand next week after the funeral.
Defence Minister Inia Seruiratu said the news of the tragic passing of the late Police Constable Siuta Tuqisi Niumataiwalu allegedly at the hands of a suspect of crime was truly heartbreaking and he joined other Fijians in mourning the passing of a true fallen hero. “The heart that beats underneath the uniform of a Police officer is one that beats for others, and PC Niumataiwalu’s brave actions proved that his mission was to protect others from becoming victims of crime. His selfless act will never be forgotten,” he said.
“I extend my heartfelt condolences to the late PC Niumataiwalu’s mother and family for the loss of their beloved son and brother.”
Minister Seruiratu said no words would ever bring back the late officer, but he does hope that they will find comfort in knowing that they nurtured a hero and loyal servant to Fiji.