Police Woman Recruit Suspended for Leaking Mug Shot

Police Commissioner, Fuiavailili Egon Keil.

By Lagi Keresoma

APIA, SAMOA – 05 JUNE 2021: A police woman recruit still serving her one year probation before graduating as a police constable, has been identified as the person who leaked a mug shot of an MP from police records and on to social media a few hours later.

The woman identified as Afioga Leaupepe of Fasito’o village has been suspended and police are looking further at how much police security systems have been compromised by the incident.

Suspended police recruit, Afioga Leaupepe.

The Police Commissioner Fuiavailili Egon Keil confirmed that the investigation is on-going but enough evidence has been established to warrant the suspension.

The mug shot was taken under normal police process at the police headquarters last Tuesday afternoon when MP Toeolesulusulu Cedric Schuster was booked and charged for driving under the influence of alcohol.

The mug shot however appeared on social media was widely shared the following day.

The Police Commissioner said the investigation looks to establish who she sent the mug shot to and the reasons why she did it.

Afioga is one of the new police recruits sworn in recently and is still under probation when the incident happened.