Lau health worker to return for her safety

Ahealth worker, who is said to be one of the last person to have seen Eliki Yaco (Jnr) before he mysteriously disappeared, will be reposted elsewhere for her safety.

This was confirmed by Minister for Health and Medical Services Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete yesterday.

It comes as villagers of Nukuni Village on Ono-i-Lau are still seeking answers about his disappearance.

Mr Yaco, 23, was last seen on May 31, leaving Nukuni Village, to pick up a government worker from a picnic spot on the island.

It is alleged that Mr Yaco was attacked by a shark on their way back to the village.

Landowning unit representative, Jone Savunikimatuku, 70, said: “We need the Government to send a special task force to investigate the matter.”

“It’s nearly a month now when the incident happened and there is still no result of the investigation. We need to know the truth.” Mr Savukimatuku said the government employees based at Nukuni Village in Ono-i-Lau sought forgiveness (matanigasau) from Mr Yaco’s family two weeks ago.

“They did this because there was a lot of tension in the village and the law will take its own course. “We have also informed the Prime Minister’s Office about this incident.”

Eliki Rarawa (Snr) said he wouldn’t be at peace until he knew what happened to his eldest son. “It was my birthday the day my son went missing,” he said.

“This will be the 20th day my son is missing at sea, what are the Police doing about it?”

The father of four said his son went to the village in June last year.

Police spokesperson Ana Naisoro said they were negotiating with the Fiji Navy if a team from the Criminal Investigations Department could board their boat in their trip to Lau to investigate the incident.