Boxer on assault charges barred by Australia

A boxer facing assault charges in Auckland has been denied entry to Australia to compete in the Commonwealth Games.

An Immigration Department spokesman told the Dominion Post Sitaleki Maka, 20, could present a risk to the Australian community.

Maka, who was due to travel to Australia on Monday to represent Tonga at the Games, is on bail after being charged with two counts of injuring with intent and two counts of common assault after a bottle attack on four teenagers in Auckland on February 24.

He has denied the charges and said the police had the wrong man.

Meanwhile, a New Zealand Commonwealth Games athlete will compete at Melbourne despite facing serious charges in court here, the paper reported.

The 20-year-old, who has name suppression, faces charges of arson and unlawfully taking a vehicle and the case is understood to be scheduled for court again next week.

Administrators from the athlete's sporting code said they were not aware of the case and Olympic Committee secretary-general Barry Maister said he could not comment without knowing the facts.

Another boxer, New Zealand's Soulan Pownceby, who was jailed for four years in 1995 for the manslaughter of his baby daughter, was cleared to compete at the games last month.

- NZPA