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Home / New Zealand

Mourners invite contractor to funeral

Stuart Dye
By Stuart Dye
Head of Print Content·
4 Jun, 2007 05:00 PM4 mins to read

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Send us your views on the case Click here Read your views

KEY POINTS:

The man who cut the electricity to Folole Muliaga's house and oxygen machine will be welcome at her funeral tomorrow.

The family of Mrs Muliaga - who died a few hours after Mercury Energy ordered power cut to her Mangere Bridge home - say they feel only love
for the contractor who carried out the disconnection.

It is understood the man is on leave from his job and has been receiving counselling.

Muliaga family spokesman Brenden Sheehan said the contractor and his family would be on tenterhooks as they awaited the outcome of the police inquiry.

"We appreciate the contractor is under a lot of pressure and our family feels mentally that they don't hate him. They love him."

The family had not spoken to the contractor but there "was an open invitation for the contractor to come to the house so the family can show him their love".

Hundreds of mourners are expected to pay their respects at tomorrow's public service.

Among them will be executives from Mercury Energy and Mighty River Power, the state-owned enterprise that owns Mercury.

Mr Sheehan said they would be warmly welcomed.

Last night, hundreds of mourners gathered outside the Samani Pulepule centre in Mangere for a candlelit vigil before a private service was held inside for Mrs Muliaga.

Mrs Muliaga's husband, Lopaavea, and their four children were joined by extended family, members of church groups the family belonged to, classmates of Mrs Muliaga from her early- childhood diploma studies and many more.

The service was due to start at 6pm. By 5pm there was a queue outside and security guards were directing traffic in the packed car park.

The coffin carrying Mrs Muliaga's body arrived shortly before 6pm and a large crowd gathered at the doors as pall bearers and the Muliaga family made their way inside the building.

Some wept and many carried flowers and wreaths.

Mr Sheehan said the service was about rejoicing and celebrating his aunt's life. "It's a sad occasion, but a joyous one as well."

But a shadow was cast over the ceremony after the family earlier yesterday accused police investigating the death of institutionalised racism.

Mr Sheehan said family members were interviewed separately for several hours in English, despite it being their second language.

"They are thinking and speaking in Samoan and the police are speaking to them in English, which I find appalling."

Police were hugely insensitive and had shown institutionalised racism by not knowing how to deal with other cultures.

Mr Sheehan said as Mrs Muliaga's body was arriving home on Sunday, he received a telephone message from police saying one of Mrs Muliaga's sons was to be interviewed with a lawyer present and "could he come down to the police station that day".

"Obviously I didn't return the call but it's outrageous," Mr Sheehan said. "These people are victims. If they treat victims like this how do they treat suspects?"

He was also appalled that the police had apparently said publicly that no charges would be laid because Mrs Muliaga had been a very sick woman.

An unnamed police source was quoted in the Press newspaper after police had earlier told Mr Sheehan they would not comment publicly.

"Of course she was a very sick woman. That is why we have gone to the press. But it appears [if you are sick] police seem to think your life is worth nothing."

The family now wanted a fresh police team to take over the inquiry.

The officer in charge of the inquiry, Detective Inspector Jim Gallagher, said he had not heard the complaint so was not prepared to comment.

"I am not entering into some media debate over police procedural inquiry matters," Mr Gallagher said.

"If he wishes to make those views known to the police then clearly we will listen but there is a process and that is what we would recommend."

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