Three Prison Officers who have been working at the Tanumalala Correctional Facilities have been terminated.
This was confirmed by Deputy Police Commissioner, Papali Monalisa Tiai-Keti to Samoa Global News.
“I can confirm that three prison officers have been terminated following the completion of an investigation conducted over the past couple of months,” she said.
Asked for reasons behind the termination of the three Officers, Papalii only offered that they had “breached conditions of their duties”.
“Their termination is not related to the issue of the escaped prisoner last Sunday,” confirmed the Acting Commissioner.
Papalii said the matter with the prisoner who had escaped and was recaptured last Sunday is now with the Professional Standard Unit (PSU) for a thorough investigation.
The prisoner who used a ladder to climb over the Tanumalala Prison security fence on Sunday morning was returned a few hours later on Sunday afternoon when police located him at Fiaga, near the Electric Power Corporation power plant. In the few hours he had escaped it is suspected he broke into a home at Fiaga.
Va’ai Panapa of Vailele is serving multiple sentences for charges of burglary, theft and for previous attempts to escape.
