Nafanua Captain Demoted & Fined $2000

By Lagi Keresoma

APIA, SAMOA – 10 JANUARY 2022: The former captain of the Police patrol boat, Nafanua 11 has been demoted and fined $2000 by the Police Disciplinary Tribunal that found him guilty of 3 charges of negligence.

Captain Taito Sefo Hunt was originally charged with 5 counts of negligence over the grounding of the $30 million patrol vessel at Salelologa reef in August last year.

Taito, who held the rank of Superintendent at the time of the incident, is to start again from being a police Corporal.

He was suspended in August for the Tribunal to conduct their investigation and their verdict was released last Tuesday.

The incident
Taito was in charge of the vessel that dropped off 30 police officers at Salelologa to help with security as the Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) car rally on the island posed issues with the villages. On its return, the vessel ran aground on the reef outside the wharf.

After failed local efforts to salvage the vessel, two Australian teams were called in to salvage and transport the vessel for repair in Australia.

In the meantime, the US coast guard has been providing surveillance of Samoa’s economic zone in the absence of the Australian donated Nafanua.

The damaged Nafanua II patrol boat on the transport barge  for repairs in Australia.