18 Nov 2019

Sacked Samoan prison officer wants job back after acquittal

2:54 pm on 18 November 2019

A sacked senior prison officer in Samoa is seeking legal advice to get her job back after the Supreme Court acquitted her of theft.

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Photo: 123rf

Hilda Moelasi Saunoa was sacked in 2016 after being accused by prison authorities of stealing five cartons of tinned fish from prisoner rations.

Now that the court has cleared her name, Ms Saunoa said she had taken a complaint to the Ombudsman office and wanted to be reinstated.

She also wanted the Samoa Correctional service to pay her in full for the three years she was out of a job.

Ms Saunoa was the leading officer for eight years, looking after the women's prison at the closed Tafaigata prison.

The court found the Commissioner of Corrections and a retired senior officer were not able to identify if the alleged stolen boxes of tinned fish were part of the prisoner rations.

Hilda Moelasi Saunoa had told the court the boxes were brought by relatives of the prisoners during their visits.