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Samoa inmate: What happened to the cash?

The Acting Commissioner of Police, Fauono Talalelei Tapu, has rejected a claim by a former inmate that Police officers who arrested him took a large sum of money that was in his bag.The claim was made by 50-yearold Sione Ta’ateo, who was jailed for three years, over the theft of $860,000 from the Samoa National Provident Fund’s Pension scheme Office.In an attempt to clear his name, Mr. Ta’ateo visited the Weekend Observer to express his disappointment at claims that he had used the money in question.“This is the only reason why I’m speaking up now,” he said. “I understand that I’m a criminal in the eyes of people but I think even a criminal has a right to tell the truth.”According to Mr. Ta’ateo, in 2008, an S.N.P.F employee handed him the keys and told him where the money was. On the night of the hit, he took close to a million tala in cash and cheques and buried it.“All I took with me that night was $30,000,” he said. “When the Police arrested me, I had already spent $5,000 and the rest was left in my bag.”Mr. Ta’ateo said he was locked up in a Police cell and the Police took his bag. “Later that night, I was told by the Police officers that all they found in my bag was $30 tala and joints of marijuana.”Mr. Ta’ateo confirmed that he had marijuana in the bag but he disputed the $30 tala the Police said he had.“This was part of the evidence during the Court case and I never got tell my story. I guess the question I want to ask now is where did the money in my bag go?”Mr. Ta’ateo’s version of events was put to Acting Commissioner Fauono. He vehemently denied the allegation.