Two Police officers suspended over alleged bribe

By Matai'a Lanuola Tusani T - Ah Tong 16 August 2019, 7:00PM

Two Police Officers have been suspended, with one of them charged for allegedly accepting a $50 tala bribe connected to the $400,000 drug smuggling case. 

When the incident occurred last month one officer was charged while the other was suspended. They are both now suspended pending the matter going before the Court.

It is alleged that the junior officer accepted the $50 tala bribe from the husband of the Vietnamese woman who is charged for smuggling heroin and cocaine into Samoa last month.

An Tran Thi was charged following a drug bust at the Faleolo International Airport on July 21 when she transited through Samoa to go to American Samoa. 

She had flew in from Fiji and Singapore. 

Her husband is also being charged for allegedly bribing a law enforcer.

During a recent interview, Police Commissioner, Fuiavailiili Egon Keil, confirmed that the officer allegedly took a bribe from the husband of the Vietnamese woman.

 “We have charged him [the husband] too for [allegedly] bribing an officer,” said Fuaivaili’ili. 

The Vietnamese woman is also facing charges of bribery, however, the Commissioner said those charges are related to a separate incident. 

It is alleged that the Vietnamese woman attempted to bribe another police officer at Faleolo airport but the officer did not accept it.

By Matai'a Lanuola Tusani T - Ah Tong 16 August 2019, 7:00PM

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