Commissioner Sēmisi Tapueluelu of His Majesty’s Prisons has issued a statement following reports of a prisoner’s death, which have been accompanied by conflicting allegations regarding the cause of death.
As Kaniva News reported this week, local media have identified the deceased as Peau La’iafi.
Media sources alleged the 39-year-old died of a heart attack.
Others, however, claimed that the deceased was a victim of foul play.
We contacted the Prisons’ CEO, Sēmisi Tapueluelu, for comment.
We asked him to clarify the conflicting information we had about La’iafi’s death.
We also requested Tapueluelu to confirm whether this was La’iafi who was sentenced in relation to the death of Manu Crewe of Pelehake in 2017.
Tapueluelu responded after we published our story on Wednesday.
Death in Custody Protocol
Tapueluelu did not deny our news or the identification we reported about the deceased prisoner.
He said that when a prisoner dies, the officer in charge (“pule ‘o e ‘api polisi”) of the nearest police station must be informed.
The officer will then summon a tribunal with jurors to determine the cause of death.
Correctional officers (“sela”) are prohibited from participating in that tribunal, he told Kaniva News.
The jurors will review all the information pertinent to the death and may request additional investigation if deemed necessary.
Upon finishing their work, the body of the deceased would be handed over to the family.
The deceased
A court decision said La’iafi was sentenced along with two other men after an altercation between them and Crewe.
The incident occurred after the men became aware that Crewe had allegedly sexually assaulted one of the men’s daughters.
Court document shows Crewe admitted to the offence.
During a night of heavy drinking, a heated altercation broke out involving Crewe, La’iafi, and the men.
The tension escalated, resulting in a violent confrontation.
Crewe sustained serious injuries during this incident and was subsequently taken to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries shortly after arrival.
