The Ministry of Police has been forced to defend its Tactions against questions from within the Force in relation to the handling of the case involving a Police Officer.
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Yesterday, this lorry was back on the road with a similar load.
The officer, whose name is withheld, was apparently under the influence of alcohol when he crashed a vehicle at the Samoa National Provident Fund Plaza three weeks ago.
The aftermath of the crash has led to questions from other Police officers who believe the officer in question should have at least been suspended.
As of yesterday, the officer was still working.
Asked for a comment, Police Commissioner, Egon Keil, confirmed the crash but said the incident happened when the officer was off duty.
Mr. Keil said the officer has been charged and he will be subjected through normal procedures when it comes to such issues.
“What he did is not right however it’s not one of those things that was done during his duty,” Mr. Keil said. “He was off duty.”
Pointing out that the offense was at the lower end of the scale, Mr. Keil said he has seen worse from other Police officers.
These sort people, he said, should not be on the streets doing the work.
But the officer in question made a genuine mistake and he is remorseful.
“He’s got a clear record,” Mr. Keil said of the officer in question.
“If he didn’t then he would be suspended without pay because he would be too much of a risk but as I determined it, he is not a risk and therefore he was afforded the opportunity to still work. His case is pending.”
Commissioner Keil added that the decision to allow the officer to work is also to maximise the benefits from public money being used to pay Police officers. Asked to elaborate, the Commissioner said if the officer were suspended, he would have to be suspended with pay pending an investigation and his Court case.
He said it is better for the officer to work to earn his pay than paying him to stay home.
Mr. Keil said it’s important that individual cases are judged on merit and he maintained that the officer has a good record and he deserves a chance to work. According to the Police spokesperson, Su’a Muliaga Tiumalu, the official was tested for alcohol after the crash and he was intoxicated.
Su’a said the decision to suspend him or keep in him at work is solely that of the Commissioner.
Since Mr. Keil’s tenure as Police Commissioner, a number of officers have been suspended and charged for different incidents.
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