Auckland: A 27 year old Tongan man by the name of Hatane Kaufusi Latu has been charged with the murder of Charanpreet Dhaliwal.
Latu appeared in Waitakre District court this afternoon on the charges of Dhaliwal’s murder that occurred on November 18 of last year.
Latu applied for name suppression out of concern for his family, especially his new born baby girl, but the application was declined by Judge Lisa Tremwan.
Dhaliwal, 22, was said to have been working on his first shift at the construction site on the night he was murdered. He was found to have died if a blow to the head. He was found slumped over a concrete slab near the main gates of the site by workers returning a truck.
Detective Senior Sergeant Stan Brown this morning said the arrest was the result of information from the public and six months of work from investigators.
Sikh Council spokesman Daljit Singh said he called Mr Dhaliwal's mother as soon as he was told of the arrest. She was relieved and would be travelling to New Zealand soon, he said.
"She was very happy with the news. Very pleased with it. It is pleasing for the community as a whole. For more than five months we've been waiting. We were losing hope that the police would find anyone."
His friends and family described him as a "kind soul'' who came here for a better future and education.
Latu’s family on the other hand were said to be in a state of shock.
Latu was remanded in custody until June 7. He made no application for bail.