Four police officers accused over the beating of a male from Tanugamanono have returned to work while two have decided to resign.
That’s what Assistant Police Commissioner, Fauono Talelei Tapu, told the Weekend Observer yesterday.
He confirmed that the four who have decided to return to work are back on the beat.
In October 2013, six police officers appeared in the District Court accused of attacking a male from Tanugamanono at Moto’otua on October 2012.
The charges have since been dismissed by District Court Judge, his Honour Vaepule Vaemoa Va’ai, after an application from the Attorney General’s Office to withdraw charges.
Yesterday, the Assistant Commissioner was reluctant to give details as to why the other officers have resigned except to confirm that one of the reasons for their resignation is because they were “involved in other matters”.
Asked what those matters were, he did not say.
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“I can’t confirm those details,” he said. “I don’t have the file with me but I will get back to you on it.”
Pressed if the “matters were similar” to the alleged attack on the Tanugamanono male, the Assistant Commissioner declined to comment further.
“I don’t have full knowledge of it but I will get back to you once I get back to the office and look at the file.”
Six police officers were suspended with pay for seven months pending an outcome from the investigation and the Court case.
The Assistant Commissioner was unable to confirm which of them were reinstated and who decided to resign.
However, the charges arose from an allegation by the victim, Kapeneta Faailo, of Tanugamanono that he was assaulted by the officers when they tried to arrest him from his village.
The District Court heard that when the police tried to arrest him, he resisted, took off and police chased after him.
Kapeneta first gave evidence that he was assaulted by police officers because they were angry at him for resisting arrest and taking off.
He said he incurred injuries to his nose, forehead, teeth and lips from the alleged assault.
However, under cross examination from defence lawyer, Rosella Papali’i, he agreed that he had fell on the bumper of the police vehicle causing the injuries to his nose and forehead.
He also agreed that his memory was not as accurate as he was drunk.
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