21 Feb 2017

Samoa AG happy with process as Police head's case dismissed

7:57 am on 21 February 2017

Samoa's Attorney General says he's satisfied the decision to withdraw 265 charges against the suspended Police Commissioner was reached in an appropriate manner.

The Attorney-General hired New Zealand prosecutor, Nigel Hampton QC, to work on the case against Fuiavailili Egon Keil.

The prosecutor successfully sought leave for the court to withdraw charges, saying he had reviewed the charges and found none of the allegations had been properly investigated by objective and independent investigators.

Samoa Attorney General Lemalu Hermann Retzlaff.

Samoa Attorney General Lemalu Hermann Retzlaff. Photo: twitter

Therefore he said the whole of the investigation, arrest and prosecution case was and is deeply and irremediably compromised.

Attorney General, Lemalu Herman Retzlaff, said Mr Hampton was brought in to handle the case independently.

"He was sent the full file from the NPO, [National Prosecution Office] office, just to make sure that the Attorney-General's office was not privy to any evidence because we wanted the final decision to be fully independent," Lemalu said.

"Obviously he [Mr Hamption] is a man with extremely high experience, including being Chief Justice of Tonga, so his independent decision is one that I don't have any issues or queries with."

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