Samoa Police

The first occurred on Saturday in Lefaga where a one-year-old boy is believed to have drowned behind the family home.

The police said the child was left unsupervised.

The second death was that of a four-year-old girl in Ti'avea, who died on Sunday after being hit by a mini-van while she was crossing the road.

The police said the driver has been charged with negligent driving causing death.

Then on Monday, a three-year-old was killed while watching television with her siblings when the television fell on her head.

The Samoa Observer newspaper reported Commissioner Fuiavailili Egon Keil has confirmed the suspensions.

The commissioner said the criminal charges against one of the officers is over the alleged possession of an unlicensed pistol.

Inspector Ituau Ale and Sergeant Shrikrishna Schwenke were officially suspended last week but it has not been revealed which one of them is facing criminal charges.

Fuiavailili warned that if police commit misconduct he will deal with it swiftly.

The Samoa Observer reported the Commissioner of Police, Fuiavailili Egon Keil saying four men from Samalaeulu village have been charged over the killing.

Savaii police superintendent Sala'a Sale Sala'a said the dead man was from the same village as the accused men.

He said it was unclear what provoked the attack, but the alleged assailants had been drinking.

The men, who are now in custody on Upolu, will appear in court next month.

The Police Commissioner Fuiavaili'ili Egon Keil has cautioned against violence in the process.

"Our plea to the families in this area is to keep the peace and let the police do their job," he said.

Last week a member of one of the families involved told the Samoa Observer newspaper that she would not vacate the land.

"They can dig a mass grave and bury us in it, or kill us," said Aiga Tokuma.

"Only then they [the Government] can occupy this land; but we will not go down without a fight," she said.

Earlier this month, police arrested and charged three suspects over the alleged plot to kill Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi.

This week Newsline Samoa reported that police had arrested a fourth suspect.

But Police Commissioner Fuiavailili Egon Keil said this was not true.

Fuiavailili also told KHJ News it was important the public continued to co-operate with police.

Matai in Laulii village, where one of the three defendants is from, alerted police about the plot, he said.

Police said two youths were in custody facing assault charges following an ambush, which used Facebook to lure their victim.

The use of social media to instigate violence reflected negatively on the community, police said.

The defendants are due in court on 9 September.

They were caught on video assaulting a 17-year-old at Savalalo market a week ago.

Sources close to the inquiry have indicated that a Samoan man living in Australia is alleged to have been involved by sending money to two of the three suspects already charged.

The money had been spent in hiring a vehicle to carry out the plot, including the search for a weapon.

Last Friday the police say the evidence includes the use of social media from within and outside of Samoa.

Two of the accused have been remanded in custody until 26 August 2019 for mention.

Police said they would not release further details due to the seriousness of the allegation and the investigation is ongoing.

The matter was reported to Samoa Police Service on 13 August following a tip-off by the Lauli’i Village Council.

Police said their evidence includes the use of social media both inside and outside of Samoa.

This was confirmed by Samoa's acting police commissioner, Papalii Monalisa Keti.

However she said the Attorney General, Lemalu Herman Retzlaff, is reviewing the file before the police will carry out the normal procedure for filing the charges.

Since last night, police have arrested two suspects in relation to the case: Malele Atofu Paulo, also known as King Faipopo; and Lema'i Faioso Sione.

The pair are in police custody.

Police have released few details on the alleged plot, which came to light two days ago.

The Samoa Observer newspaper reports local mayor, Fa'alogo Sasauli Moli, saying the council had been to every family in Lauli'i and concluded that someone must have dumped the baby.

Fa'alogo said all babies born in the last eight months in the village had been accounted for.

He said the village council will not stop until they uncover who did, what he called this "unchristian act".

Meanwhile the police have advised the public to refrain from posting pictures of the decomposing body on social media.