Paul Ah Kuoi, a principal Immigration Officer of the Ministry of Prime Minister has been suspended in the wake of investigations into the departure from Samoa of businessman Tui Vaai Jr, despite a court departure prohibition order.
Samoa Observer reported that the CEO of the Ministry of Prime Minister, Agafili Shem Leo, had confirmed the suspension.
Vaai Jr had been scheduled to appear in court on a criminal matter but was discovered that he had ansconded using a newly issued Samoan passport.
He had been on bail with the proviso that he hands in all travel documents.
The Ministry of Justice confirmed that Vaai Jr had surrendered two passports as the court had ordered.
A police investigation was launched into how Vaai Jr had managed to get a new passport which allowed him to leave the country despite a departure prohibition order.
The Ministry also launched its own investigation into the matter.
Ah Kuoi told the newspaper he could not comment on the matter, but CEO Agafili said the officer had been suspended as part of the government process for investigations of this nature.
“The suspension resulted from the initial phase of the internal investigation,” Agafili told the newspaper.
