27 Jan 2004

American Samoan politician calls for prison to be searched after death

4:08 pm on 27 January 2004

A member of the American Samoan legislature says the Tafuna Correctional Facility should be searched after an inmate was hacked to death with a machete.

Muavaefaatasi Ae Ae Jr. says he wants a full investigation into how a prisoner was able to lay his hands on the bush knife.

A 36 year old inmate, Senetala Lavasii, was killed after being slashed on the head and the back.

Another prisoner, who tried to intervene, was injured but has since been discharged from hospital.

Muavaefaatasi says a full search of the prison should be undertaken.

"We need to search the whole prison, the jails place to see if anyone hide any machete, or something, or weapons or whatever because it seems to me it's easy to get the weapons or bush knife or whatever inside the jail which shouldn't be happening."

Muavaefaatasi Ae Ae Jr. says the family of the dead man is likely to sue the government over its failure to do its duty.