Public questions why 4 cops accused of assault aren’t at TCF

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The decision to hold four police officers arrested this week at the temporary holding cell (THC) in Fagatogo instead of the Territory Correctional Facility (TCF) has raised a lot of questions from members of the public and senior police officers.

The four police officers including a police captain arrested this week for their role in an alleged beating of a man at the Fagatogo Market in May of last year are detained at the THC at the Central Police Central in Fagatogo.

There are also two inmates currently being held at the THC allegedly for security reasons.

This was confirmed by DPS Deputy Commissioner Jerry Letuli during an exclusive interview with Samoa News this week at his office in Fagatogo.

Police Captain, Margie Alofaituli, along with three police officers, Dustin Maiava, Faau Levi and Elleryquinn Histake were arrested and served by the court marshal with copies of their arrest warrants from the court on Tuesday morning, before they were transported to the Territorial Correctional Facility (TCF) where they were booked.

According to a source, the four defendants were transported back to the Fagatogo Police Central after they were booked at TCF and held at the THC behind Fagatogo Police Central.

Samoa News received complaints and phone calls this week from family members of the victim in this case asking about the reason why these four defendants are not held at the TCF like other detainees accused of various crimes.

A family member believe all detainees must be treated the same and who ever is accused of violating the law, that person must held at the TCF until that person posts bond.

The family member believes that no one can determine which place a detainee should be held except the court.

A man whose son is locked up at the TCF said the move by DPS to let the four cops be held at the Fagatogo holding cell is unfair. He believes that all inmates must be housed at the TCF unless the court orders someone to be held somewhere else based on security reasons.

Two senior police officers said there should be no special treatment for anyone accused of any violation of the law — including police officers. They said the decision to move the four cops to the Fagatogo holding cell is wrong and the court needs to look at this issue.

When questioned about the move to detain the four cops at the THC, Letuli explained that there was no special reason behind the decision.

“The decision is to have them detained at the THC in Fagatogo while awaiting the outcome of their cases and if they are guilty and sentenced, that is when they will be transported back to the TCF to serve their detention,” Letuli explained.

Letuli did say that one of the reasons behind the decision is to make it easier for the four cops to attend their court hearings, including their initial appearances and bond hearings this week.

He pointed out that this is not about special treatment for police officers. It was just a move to make it easy for them to attend their court hearing.

On Wednesday, all of the four defendants appeared before Acting Associate Judge Elvis P. Patea for their initial appearance at 1 p.m.

Alofaituli, is charged with forgery, criminal fraud, and offering a fraudulent instrument for filing, class C felonies carrying a sentence of 7 years in prison and a $5,000 fine or both.

Her bail is set at $15,000.

Officers Levi, Maiava and Histake, are charged with assault, criminal fraud, offering a false instrument for filing, along with one count of misconduct in the administration of Justice and false report.

Bail for Histake and Maiava are set at $20,000 each while Levi is held on bail of $25,000.

The officers are accused of beating the victim, who had allegedly assaulted his girlfriend on the night of May 8, last year.

After their initial appearances, the four defendants were returned to the THC.