Police investigator John Cendroswki testified yesterday in Apia before the Samoa government’s Commission of Inquiry into the alleged smuggling of firearms from American Samoa to Samoa.
What the five-member Commission decides over the next several days will determine if the Commissioner of Police, Papali’i Lorenese Neru, is guilty or not guilty of anything illegal in the way the guns were brought into the country, reports Samoalive. The legality or illegality of guns imported to Samoa on board the police patrol boat MV Nafanua, is what the Commission of Inquiry is trying to sort out this week at the Oloamanu Conference Center at the Le Papaigalagala Campus.
The commission’s findings could decide the fate of Samoa Police Commissioner Neru, who is implicated in the incident.
Firearms were transported on board police patrol boat, the MV Nafanua, when the Samoa boat was in Pago Pago for the Flag Day festivities to transport the Samoa Police Band.
While the inquiry is open to the public, Samoa media is being “drip fed” information through daily press releases by the assisting state counsel to the Commission, says Samoalive.
The media is shut out from reporting on the details of evidence, witnesses, submissions or any other detail of or information from the hearings or the proceedings of the Commission outside of or beyond that provided in the press release from the Counsel Assisting, Samoalive added.
Cendrowski, who was not named in the press release issued yesterday was the officer who investigated alleged criminal actions of former American Samoa DPS police captain Papali’i Marion Fitisemanu.
Cendrowski went to Samoa in May 2008 to retrieve the firearms and to interview witnesses for the purposes of the criminal investigation, according to the press release.
While in Samoa conducting the investigation, Cendrowski interviewed Neru, MV Nafanua captain Logoitino Filipo, and two crewmembers — Simaile Tuatagaloa and Manu Faaiuaso. All denied any knowledge of the firearms being on board the voyage of the MV Nafanua on April 19, 2008. Neru confirmed for Cendrowski in May that Fitisemanu sent him a package aboard the MV Nafanua but that he did not know the package contained firearms until he opened it, the press statement said.
Neru arranged for the firearms to be given to Cendrowski who then took the firearms back to American Samoa. The firearms are two Mossberg 12-gauge shotguns, one Winchester 20 -gauge shotgun and one Ruger .22 caliber pistol. Cendrowski told the Commission yesterday that only the Ruger pistol should be traced to the Police evidence room. The other firearms are not registered in American Samoa.
Fitisemanu pleaded guilty to a criminal charge against him relating to an AK 47 weapon taken from the Police evidence room and is awaiting sentencing Oct. 30 2008, the statement says.
(This weapon was found at Fitisemanu’s home at Tafuna and was not one of the weapons that was imported to Samoa.)
The Commission heard evidence yesterday from the Samoa government’s special investigation team. All three members of the team gave evidence about their investigation into how the firearms were obtained and entered Samoa, the press statement says. The Samoa government’s special investigation team has recommended that once Fitisemanu has been sentenced, additional information should be sought in American Samoa.
As part of the collection of the evidence, the team traveled to American Samoa. The collection of evidence in American Samoa was restricted due to the on going criminal trial of Captain Marion Fitisemanu, the officer who allegedly removed the firearms from the American Samoa Police evidence room and arranged for the firearms to be transported to Apia.
In summary, the team’s findings were that there was insufficient evidence available to recommend criminal charges be laid against any person.
Each party implicated in the alleged gun smuggling into Samoa are entitled to be represented by legal counsel and to call any evidence in their defense. The hearings started on Wednesday with today as the tentative ending date but subject to the wish of the Commission to extend the deadline if necessary to complete their work.
