NUKU'ALOFA (RNZI) - Tonga has announced that Superintendent Grant O'Fee of New Zealand will head its police force.
O'Fee most recently was in charge of security for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
Tonga has been without a police chief since last September when the government ended the contract of another New Zealander, Chris Kelley.
The then police minister said it was time for a Tongan to again head a force whose reputation was badly tarnished by the riots of 2006.
Newly-appointed Police Minister Sunia Fili, however, says it is important that an expatriate continues to fill the post while key reforms are still being implemented.
"For example it was new legislation that appointments and having higher posts (would be made) through merit, but before we were doing that through seniority. So it is a new system for Tonga and we hope that the new commissioner will assist us a lot on that."