The son of Samoa Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leauatea Schmidt allegedly removed an SD card from a Samoa Observer camera and deleted photographs taken at a police event outside the Mata’afa Faumuina Mulinu’u Building on Tuesday morning.
The newspaper reported that the incident occurred during Police Remembrance Day celebrations.
During Acting Police Commissioner Leiataua Samuelu Afamasaga’s opening remarks, Constable Jordan Salea who was part of the prime minister’s security detail, approached reporter Su’emalolefasula Ieremia and told her to follow him.
He demanded that she hand over the camera she was carrying and led her up the building ramp to an area behind the stage where officials, diplomats, and police officers were sitting.
The encounter was apparently captured during a live broadcast of the event.
Ieremia said another member of the prime minister’s security detail, Corporal Taumailelei Mapusaga, took the camera and handed it to the Prime Minister’s son Anslem Schmidt who began deleting photographs directly from the camera.
“He said he would take out the SD card to be sure the photos were deleted,” Ieremia said.
Schmidt then told her the Samoa Observer was not allowed to photograph his father.
“He said I could take photos of anyone else but the Prime Minister,” she said.
“He said there is a law that prevents the Samoa Observer from taking any pictures of the Prime Minister.”
Ieremia said the camera was returned to her after the photographs were deleted.
Photo: Samoa Observer
