Former M.P. says ‘justice must be done’

Former Member of Parliament, Patu Ativalu Togi II, has called on the Police to “re-investigate” the death of mental health patient, Hans Dalton.

Mr. Dalton was found dead in a gallon of water on Boxing Day in 2012 at Tafa’igata Prison.

A former Police officer who headed the prison from 1989 to 1995, the 75-year-old Patu says Mr. Dalton’s death is “a reflection of bad management decisions” in the Police.

Patu’s comments come days after Attorney General, Aumua Ming Leung Wai, confirmed that the government is being sued by the family of Mr. Dalton for $30million. The civil claim mainly targets the Ministry of Health (M.O.H) and the Ministry of

Police and Prisons (M.O.P.P).

Patu said the Police must find who killed Mr. Dalton pointing out that it is utterly unfair for members of the public to pay for the Police’s negligence.

“Thirty million is a lot of money. Who will suffer as a result of that civil claim? It is the people, the taxpayers.”

Patu said the investigation into Mr. Dalton’s death by Police was “poorly done”.

“Now the government is being sued for this much money but if the Police had done their jobs properly, it would not have come to this.”

The former Director of Investigation and Operations at the Police is also offering his services to assist with the investigation.

He said that during his time as the Head of Tafa’igata Prison, police officers were not “allowed to beat prisoners because this was not the law.”

“Police officers during my time were disciplined,” he said.

Patu said there were a number of ways available to discipline prisoners.

“If a prisoner causes an uproar, they would be punished by being put into the cell where murderers and those with brutal and violent behaviour were kept.

“This room is very small and prisoners that acted out in any way and refused to stop screaming or being violent would be put in there along with the worst known criminals.

“The room had only one toilet and if there were 15 prisoners in there for over 24 hours, they were only given half or quarter of a ration of their food and eventually they will learn.”

Patu recalled that prisoners put into this cell could not sleep on the floor and had to stand because there was not enough room.

“The stench from the one toilet they all had to use would eventually see them calming down and learning from the experience.”

Police officers today however are very different, said Patu.

Thinking back to his days, if an officer mistreated a prisoner, “I would back hand them and remind them who they are and why they are there”.

Prisoners also have rights, he said.

“They are human beings and so they should be treated properly. The only difference between them and us is freedom.”

Getting back to Mr. Dalton’s case, Patu said “people with mental disorders should never be taken to the prison.”

“Police officers are not trained to handle people with mental disorders.”

The responsibility for these patients is that of the Ministry of Health.

Dalton was found dead at Tafa’igata Prison in a gallon of water. Police initially ruled that the New Zealand –based Samoan had committed suicide.

Later on another prisoner Jonathan Patrick Crichton was charged in relation to his death.

In February this year, he was found not guilty after Supreme Court Justice Lesatele Rapi Va’ai overturned a decision by a panel of assessors.

Mr. Dalton was in the country on holiday when he was killed.

Patu said justice needs to be done.

“There isn’t anyone out there who doesn't feel the pain his family is going through.”

That’s why he wants the Police to reopen their investigation.

“Justice must be done and it must be seen to be done.”