Police Officer questions suspension

Constable Ma’anaima Patu is not a happy man.

He is instead angry and anxious to know why he has been suspended from duty without a proper explanation from his superiors.

On Friday, Constable Patu approached the Samoa Observer to speak out against his treatment.

“All I was told was that I have been suspended as a result of a letter from the Minister,” he said referring to the Minister of Police, Sala Fata Pinati.

“How true that is, I don’t know. Maybe telling me that I was suspended as a result of a letter from the Minister was just something to say at the time.”

Approached for a comment at the 13 Days of Christmas Programme on Friday evening where the Police choir performed, Minister Sala declined to comment.

“I will have to speak with the Acting Commissioner because he is responsible for those things before I can talk to you,” he said.

“I cannot give you any information because I don’t know about it (the suspension).”

Minister Sala asked the Sunday Samoan to contact him again tomorrow when he should be in a better position to comment.

According to letters obtained by the Sunday Samoan, the suspension letter is signed by Acting Police Commissioner, Leiataua Fata Aviga.

The letter dated 12 December 2014 cites Section 52 subsection (1) (b) of the Police Service Act 2009. The letter said the officer has been suspended pending the “the outcome of charges filed against him.”

The letter said the suspension was effective immediately. Another letter written in Samoan said the Officer is being suspended with pay until further notice.

But this does not sit well with Constable Ma’anaima.

If he has been charged, the Officer said is only the decent thing to do to inform him.

The constable however is so confused that he revealed that things have been even more difficult for him since he was not informed what the charge is against him is nor what incident had led to it.

The Constable strongly argues that Acting Police Commissioner should have informed him of the incident that led to the charge against him and what that is.

“I’m confused,” he said. “They should have informed me so that when I go on suspension, I would be aware of the reasons why I won’t be at work.”

Constable Ma’anaima made headlines last year when he spoke out against the deputy Prime Minister and an associate Minister over an incident that ended up in Court.

The Constable is not sure whether that has anything to do with his suspension. He also suspects that the suspension could have something to do with a recent incident at local company where he was sent to speak to a suspect in a stoning incident.

“Because he was working I asked if we could step out for a few minutes so that he could be informed of the reason for our visit,” he said.

“I told him he could come later to the office since he was working. It was not long before informing the man that a woman came from inside the building and questioned why we were there.”

The woman ordered the suspect into the building and shut the door on them, he said.

Later, Constable Ma’anaima was allowed back into the building where he met with the woman.

“But I was surprised when I was handed the letters and told I was suspended until an investigation into a charge against me was finalised,” he said.

“As I said before, I would be okay if they informed me of what the charge filed against me is. Right now, I have no idea."

“I don’t care whether this would be a short suspension, the issue is I have suspended for something I know nothing about.”

Attempts to locate Acting Commissioner, Fata, for a comment were not successful.

An officer who answered the phone said Fata was not at work and he declined to give his mobile number.