Police Officer Fatu Enari and the three TCF inmates all entered a plea of not guilty to the three charges against them, when they made their initial appearance in the District Court yesterday morning in connection with the unauthorized transporting of inmates to Alofau last week.

Bail for Officer Enari is set at $15,000 on charges of aiding the escape of a prisoner, permitting escape and tampering, second degree while each of the three inmates are charged with one count of escaping from confinement.

For Enari’s criminal charges (the aiding and permitting charges) each count carries a jail term of up to five years in jail, a fine of $5,000 or both; while the tampering charge is a misdemeanor that is punishable with up to one year in prison, a fine of up to $1,000 or both. For each of the inmates, the escape charge is a class D felony punishable by up to five years in jail.

According to the government’s case, on January 7, 2015 around 7p.m. Criminal Investigation Division (CID) Commander, Lavata’i Ta’ase Sagapolutele received information that the TCF’s black Ford passenger van was parked on the family property of inmate Tolupo Hodges in Alofau. It’s alleged that CID learned from the TCF Warden Fo’ifua Fo’ifua the van was not authorized to be there, and the CID Commander then alerted his Detectives of the situation.

Court filings say that CID Detectives and Police Officers from the East Substation located the van in Fagaitua around 8p.m. and curbed it and that Police Officer Enari was driving the police vehicle. In the van were inmates Tolupo Hodges, Matafua Mataipule and Ioane Filipo.

During the investigation, Enari informed the Detective that Hodges and Mataipule approached him at the TCF and said they (inmates) had permission from Lieutenant Fasi Taase the night Commander who’s also the Assistant Warden to fix a pipe on Hodges’ pig farm in Alofau.

Enari further told the investigator that he confirmed with Lt Ta’ase who then authorized him to drive the inmates to Alofau. It’s alleged that Enari left TCF in the van with the inmates, after telling Lieutenant Tamau Sami that Lt. Ta’ase had authorized Enari to escort the inmates to Alofau for a job.

Court filings say that Lt Ta’ase denies authorizing Enari to escort the inmates to Alofau.

The inmates, Hodges, Mataipule and Filipo are all under TCF custody serving sentences for unlawful possession of a controlled substance.

“None of the inmates were authorized by the Warden or the Courts to be outside the correctional facility,” say court filings.