Several senior police officers within the Ministry of Police and Prison in Samoa have called on the government to set up a commission of inquiry into allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse by senior officers.
The call comes as the investigation of an attempted rape within the police force has reportedly been put on hold by the police commissioner, Papali'i Lorenese Neru.
A police source says the commissioner ordered a stop to the investigation after Papali'i himself approached three times one of the two police women involved to ask her to drop her complaint.
The commissioner was not available to comment on the matter but the senior officers say the commissioner must abide by the rule of law for members of the public to continue to trust the police.
Last month, Papali'i suspended one of his three assistant commissioners after two police women filed attempted rape complaints to the police professional standards unit.
