24 Sep 2015

Samoa NGO to take action against Ministry of Police

3:27 pm on 24 September 2015

The Samoa Victim Support Group says a newly relocated police office next to its premises is affecting its work and it is planning legal action against the police ministry.

The group is unhappy the ministry moved one of its services to the top level of the two storey building the NGO uses as its head office.

Victim Support recently renovated the building with most of the aid from the Japanese government and it says no funding came from the police.

The group's treasurer, Sam Fruean, says it is also concerned people might not feel good about visiting the Victim Support head office now.

"The nature of our work is that we work along with the Police Department but that doesn't mean we are safe to be in the same property as the Police. We have people coming in who lodge complaints against police, and we have vicitms as well who are not suppose to be seen by police coming into our office, so the confidentialty part has been affected by this move."

Sam Fruean says his group has no where else to move.