Govt. to crack down on defacto couples

By Joyetter Feagaimaali’i-Luamanu 09 March 2018, 12:00AM

Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, is looking at a regulation to remove defacto couples working within the Police Force.  

Last year, 20 Police Officers were laid off after Tuilaepa cracked down on instances of conflict of interests in the Force.

Tuilaepa said this was part of the reforms since he’d moved the Ministry of Police under his portfolio.

Tuilaepa said he was not happy that this issue had been allowed by the former Commissioners to continue. 

He told the Samoa Observer the ultimatum is not limited to the defacto relationships.

 They will also look at the Police Officers who have children with other Police officers.  

“They will all be affected because we will not continue down this same path," he said. 

Tuilaepa commended the Police Service for taking action immediately. 

“Again, more than 20 officers were affected and have been let go, but there is one more issue at hand which targets Police Officers who are impregnated by other Police Officers. 

“We have given the Police the option to sort out those issues internally, but in the meantime I am working on amending the regulation reflecting that if the officers have children together and in some officers’ case, they live together, they will be removed.

“I know very well these couples will claim that they are not obligated, however I have already moved to assure these regulations are legalised,” said Tuialepa. 

As reported earlier, Tuilaepa said couples cannot work together under any circumstances. 

“They knew what was going on right under their noses and they allowed it. 

“This is a standing policy all over the world, a wife cannot work with her husband,” he said. 

Tuilaepa said it would have been a different story if it was a family business.  

He said this should not happen in any Ministry of Government, adding:  “What will happen is that they will not heed the policies of the Ministry, but do what benefits them as a family.”

By Joyetter Feagaimaali’i-Luamanu 09 March 2018, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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