1 Aug 2019

Samoa police officer charged for accepting bribe

11:00 am on 1 August 2019

A police officer in Samoa has been arrested and charged with accepting a bribe in relation to a drug smuggling case.

Samoan police headquarters in Apia

Samoan police headquarters in Apia Photo: RNZI/Sally Round

The officer is accused of taking a bribe from a man charged with the possession of more than $US150,000 worth of cocaine and heroin.

The man had tried to move the drugs through Faleolo Airport to American Samoa with his Vietnamese wife, who is also facing charges of possession and bribery.

The Samoa police commissioner, Fuiavailili Egon Keil, said he had zero tolerance for people who betray the trust of the community.

There will also be an internal police investigation, Fuiavaillili said.