Apia, SAMOA — Samoa's Prime Minister has urged the police commissioner to do more to remove officers who are involved in extra-marital affairs.

Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi said the commissioner had yet to fully implement his decision last year to weed out at least one half of police 'couples' in the force.

Tuila'epa is also the Minister of Police and was speaking at a police graduation ceremony.

The Commissioner Fuiavailili Egon Keil has been given until the end of this year to act on the directive which forces a couple to choose who of them would remain in the force.

Tuila'epa said family ties affect the police response to crime in village communitie and the rule also applies to officers involved in extra-marital affairs.

Last year thirty officers quit their careers because of the new policy.

Tuila'epa described affairs as a lingering problem in the force, and said that all police officers knew of colleagues who were having affairs.