R.S.A. Night Club owner Faumuina Alexandra Mauli has disputed what she described as “vilifying” comments made by a businessman, when he blamed the nightclub over an incident that allegedly resulted in a broken window in his shop. 

Samoa Pharmacy owner, Le Mamea Mathew Mualia, wrote a letter to the Samoa Observer last weekend to decry the actions of people who broke the door window into his pharmacy in the early hours of last Saturday morning and claimed that the R.S.A. Night Club “over-served” alcohol to its patrons who then got into a fight that allegedly led to the damage being made to the pharmacy’s door.

But Faumuina, who is the General Manager of the RoSA Bar & Nightclub, wrote in a letter to this newspaper that all her employees were properly trained and it would be “remiss” for the pharmacist to make the claim of the incident being fueled by an “overly intoxicated group” as he didn’t have any evidence.

“It is remiss for Mualia as someone with a medical/health background to claim with no evidence that the incident was fuelled by an overly intoxicated group as he should be well aware that various levels of alcohol has a different effect on everyone,” she states in her email. 

“The perpetrators may not have even been overly intoxicated but instead may possess violent unruly tendencies; probably excited by the provocative Viagra, Xanax and Valium promotional ads on Mualia’s pharmacy display windows.”

The nightclub owner has also engaged the services of a security firm KL Security in order to secure the safety of its patrons, added Faumuina. 

“As the General Manager, I take it upon myself to ensure that all my employees are properly trained in Responsible Service of Alcohol [R.S.A.].

“And in addition I have engaged a heavy security presence utilising my own security guards as well as contracting external services from KL Security to ensure my patrons are safely and securely monitored throughout the night.”

Faumuina further reiterated the safety of their patrons is their utmost priority, but only within their premises and anything that occurred after they exited is not their responsibility.

“Safety of our patrons is of utmost priority however once they exit our premises we cannot be held responsible for any events thereafter. As the Police Commissioner Fuiavaili’ili himself stated, the beer did not come from itself and into their mouths, they poured beer into their own mouths,” she added.

Having become a landmark in Apia’s night scene over the last 29 years, Faumuina said they would have been happy to address some of the pharmacy owner’s concerns if he walked across to the nightclub or called to discuss the incident last Saturday.

“It is interesting that Mualia states he is sick of it however of the last 29 years that we have been in operation; not once has Mualia taken the time to walk across to us or call/email regarding any incidents which we would have happily been amenable to discussion of reparation costs.

“Instead he has chosen to unfairly blast us in the newspaper with unfounded claims demanding unjust and disproportionate action against the R.S.A.”