Samoa police officers suspended for immorality

Six police officers in Samoa have been suspended after an investigation into allegations of adultery and inter-agency relationships in the force.

Samoa Observer reports police commissioner Fuiavaili'ili Egon Keil confirmed the suspensions via email.

Fuiavaili'ili said the cases in Savaii involved two senior officers and two junior officers.

"I can confirm that two senior sworn members and two junior sworn members of the Samoa Police Service currently assigned to Savaii Operations have been either suspended, demoted, and/or reassigned as a result of Professional Standards Unit investigations," Fuiavaili'ili's email read.

Fuiavaili'ili said a criminal charge has been laid against one of the officers and another has resigned 'in lieu of disciplinary action'.

The commissioner also said a "senior member" of the Traffic Enforcement Division in Fagalii and a subordinate officer were also investigated, and both have faced disciplinary action.

He said for policy and personal rights reasons he would not reveal any particulars of the investigations.

Fuiavaili'ili said misconduct of any kind will not be tolerated within the police force.

"This we believe was accomplished in the aforementioned cases. [Police] Officers are there to protect and serve the public, not to engage in misconduct or breach the law," he said.