A total of 57 police and prisons recruit officers were sworn in by his Honour, Chief Justice Satiu Simativa Perese at Mulinuu Court House yesterday, Monday 16 August 2021. In attendance were members of the SPPCS executive.
Speech by his Honor Satiu Simativa Perese
“E muamua ona ou ofaina le faafetai i le tatou Tapaau Sili i le lagi, ona o lona alofa tunoa e mulimulitai ai le amio tonu, lona agalelei e ala ai le loto maualalo ma le faaaloalo.
Faafetai ua tau le faamoemoe. Viia pea le Alii.
O le a taoto ia faamaene o tailoloto ae tulouna le paia sautualasi o le maota; oute faatulou lau Afioga le Komesina o leoleo, Lau Afioga Fuiavailili Su’a Egon Keil, sui komesina, ma le maualuga ma le maupuepue o le ofisa o leoleo ua afifio mai. I sa ma faiga, o le a le afea e se faamatalaga, e faigata o Samoa o le fue lavelave, o le ia e iviivia, o ou paia Samoa ua uma ona ta mau, e tumau e oo i le faavavau.
E momoli atu le faamalo i tou alii ma tamaitai leoleo ua faatauto i lenei taeao. E toa 57 outou ua mafai nei na tou avea le suafa mamalu – o leoleo. Malo le tauivi, le faamalosi ma le onosai. Talitonu e le faigofie aoaoga. E gase o tou mafaufau i mataupu faigata ma e vaivai tino i le koleniga e pei ua tou tapena atu i le Olympics. Malo faafetai ua tou agai mai i lenei auaunaga. Alofa le Alii e puipui o tou ala i aso i luma, e faatino ai tou tiute ma galuega i lea aso ma lea aso, ona o le faaleoleoina o le tatou atunuu pele ma ona tagata.
I greet our distinguished Commissioner of Police, Commissioner Keil and his newly sworn Police Officers of the Independent State of Samoa. It is an honour for this Court to preside over this swearing in of 57 Samoa’s finest men and women. You are all a credit to your families, and to God for fulfilling your promise. Today when you walk around you do so knowing that you are a sworn member of the Samoan Police. I have a personal connection with the Police. My father was a Police Officer, and my uncle Samau Timani Samau was the Commissioner of Police in the early 1990s.
In your work you will inevitably come to the Court to present evidence in a case. Giving evidence is not an easy task, things can often seem a bit jumbled up in your mind. You will be cross examined and your integrity tested. The only advice I can give you is to tell the truth, because now matter how jumbled your mind becomes, it will always centre itself back on the truth. Your work will at times also not be easy when you have to confront and diffuse violent situations, just remember that the alleged offender is a human being as you are. Never forget your purpose – to serve the law.
In the past few months, the Samoan Police has shown itself to be a pillar of our community in its independent administration of the rule of law. I want to offer my sincere thanks for the excellent work of the Commissioner and his senior management team. You have all distinguished yourselves in your service, and we are grateful for this observance of the rule of law. It is the rule of law which protects us from the anarchy of lawlessness.
May God Bless you all in your future careers. Thank you for taking on this enormous and most important responsibility.
Atonu ua vela le fala, e tele tiute ma tuatuagia a le Komesina, tainane le mamalu o le vasega fou. Maua pea lau tofa ma le faautaga, tatalo e faatasi le Atua i tou ala, maua e le Komesina le soifua laulelei ae ola pea i matou.
Soifua.”