Wife of Tiro II Missing Crew Member Seeks Real Answers

I need real information from authorities on what really happened.

This is the plea from Tarasese Rokoceva, wife of Samu Sukera, who is one of the five missing men including three Indonesians who were working on the fishing vessel Tiro II.

Missing are Benjamin Semuel, Alfat Kodri, Eme Warma, Mr Sukera and Qiritivabea Cagilabakomeli.

Three survivors who have been questioned and released are Mitieli Cama, Kaminieli Tucama and Tevita Kapawale.

Ms Rokoceva had been married to Mr Sukera for seven months before he went missing.

“It has been three months already and no news has been relayed to me since the incident,” Ms Rokoceva said.

“No one seems to know what happened. We want answers and we are not getting that.”

Ms Rokoceva said she did not know her husband was going on that trip.

She claimed someone that worked on the fishing boat was drunk on that day, so her husband’s uncle asked him to go instead.

“That day, when we talked on the phone, I could hear the waves, and he told me he was out at sea. I was angry because he did not tell me that he was going.

“His uncle called me and told me that there had been an accident on the fishing vessel, and that was it.

“I called him again but he didn’t answer, so I texted him because I felt that something did not feel right”.

She said she called around and no one was giving her an answer.

She said a few weeks after her husband went missing, it was their son’s first birthday.

“My son and I are still waiting and hoping to get some news soon.”

The Fiji Maritime Surveillance Rescue Coordination Centre was informed of an incident onboard the vessel, on the morning of Wednesday, May 19, 2021.

It is still unclear how the vessel, which has since sunk, and its crew members went overboard.

Police spokesperson Ana Naisoro said investigations were still ongoing.

Edited by Losirene Lacanivalu

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