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A man who promised two people a better life in New Zealand has been sentenced to more than 16 years in prison after being convicted of slavery, rape and indecent assault offences.
Moeaia Tuai, 63, was sentenced in the Auckland High Court to 16 years and four months’ imprisonment, with a minimum non-parole period of eight years.
The sentencing follows an 18-month multi-agency investigation and a five-week trial.
Detective Inspector Warrick Adkin, Counties Manukau CIB, said the case dated back to 2024 when the first allegations were reported.
“The charges are the result of more than two years of work by New Zealand Police and Immigration New Zealand,” Adkin said.
He said the offending related to two Samoan nationals Tuai arranged to bring to New Zealand in 2016.
“Initially the victims were promised a good education and a better way of life.
“But that’s not what happened. Instead, he put them to work, kept their wages and assaulted them.”
Adkin said it was significant the victims came forward and gave evidence in court.
“For the victims to stand up in court against a Matai is significant in their culture, but they did it and their compelling evidence led to a conviction.”
Adkin said the conviction and sentence were the result of extensive work across multiple agencies.
“This is a great result and I’d like to acknowledge the hard work of our investigation team, who worked tirelessly to bring this case to court, and the specialist agencies who supported the victims throughout this process.”
Jason Perry, National Manager Immigration Investigations, said Immigration New Zealand worked closely with Police during the investigation.
“Coordinated action like this is essential to protecting vulnerable people and raising awareness. If you see signs of exploitation, report it,” Perry said.
Information on identifying and reporting migrant exploitation is available on the Immigration New Zealand website.
