20 Feb 2008

Supreme Court in Samoa grants suspended police facing attempted rape to leave country

9:41 am on 20 February 2008

The Supreme Court in Samoa has granted permission to a suspended police officer facing charges of attempted to rape to leave the country.

Corporal Fa'apa'ia Agafili goes to trial in July over the attempted rape of a woman while in police custody.

The senior Supreme Court judge, Lesatele Rapi Va'ai, ordered the suspended officer to provide bond of 4-thousand US dollars.

The presiding judge says this is to ensure the defendant will return for his the start of his trial.

The accused says he will be in American Samoa for medical reasons.