23 Oct 2017

Samoa police officer found guilty of firearm charges

4:16 pm on 23 October 2017

A police officer in Samoa has been found guilty on charges related to a firearm.

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A district court found Aiolupotea Laauli Talata'ina guilty of presenting a firearm to a woman serving a jail sentence.

He was also found guilty on one count of being armed with a dangerous weapon, in this case a 12-gauge pump action rifle.

Aiolupotea was the driver for the Police Commissioner, Fuiavailili Egon Keil, before being suspended when police filed criminal charges against him last year.

He will be sentenced next Monday.

The weapon involved in the case reportedly went missing after being exhibited during the trial.

A police investigation is underway into its whereabouts.