Samoa's Prime Minister has told the country's police they should not be giving interviews to the media.
The Samoa observer reports that in a letter to the Commissioner of Police, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi advised the police to write news releases when asked for comments, instead of agreeing to be interviewed.
Tuilaepa is reported to have said that a written press release is how police can control comments being printed.
Our correspondent in Apia, Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia, says while the letter is offering advice, it is easy to interpret that it is the Prime Minister telling the police what to do.
"I don't know why the Prime Minister and the government right now is advising the commissioner of police and the ministry to prefer writing everything in a pess release and give out to the media. And the other interesting part of his letter to the commissioner of police is to avoid having interviews with the media to avoid the spokesperson answering questions and not [being] prepared."
