Samoa’s Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, says his cabinet has “fully approved the recommendations” from a commission of inquiry into allegations of corruption at the Ministry of Police and Prisons.

Among the recommendations, he told the media during a press conference, is the urgent need to improve the security at Tafa’igata so that prisoners don’t just escape at will.

Tuilaepa pointed out that the inquiry supported the decision by the Minister of Police and Prisons, Sala Fata Pinati, to separate the prison from the police.

Tuilaepa said the only way to improve the running of Tafa’igata Prison was to separate it from the ministry.

That way, a separate commissioner would be responsible for the prison.

A dedicated commissioner for the prisons would help improve the running of the facilities, he said.

The prime minister also pointed out that the report was particularly scathing about the “calibre” and “integrity” of police officers, in relation to claims of inappropriate relationships at the prison.

As a result, Tuilaepa said the commission has called for the enforcement of policies to govern the relationship among police officers as well as that between police and prisoners.

Respect, he said, should always be paramount, reminding that although prisoners are “sinners that have broken the law, we must never forget that they too, are people created in the image of God, and so God lives in them also.”

At the end of the Commission’s report, Tuilaepa said it highlighted a “weakness” within the ministry regarding investigations against police officers carried out by the Police Professional Standards Unit.

Tuilaepa said the commission found that such investigations are not being carried out properly and that is why the Office of the Ombudsman has now been tasked with the job of investigating police officers.

“Remember there is that question – they police us but who polices them?” he said. “Well, that is the answer to that fault that existed before,” he said about the Ombudsman’s new role of looking into allegations against police officers.

Tuilaepa also said the report also highlights that many problems within the Ministry of Police and Prisons were caused by poor performance, especially by the management.

“The 75-page report lucidly outlined several management and administrative problems at the ministry and validated unfavourable conditions, unflattering incidents and incongruous behaviour at the country’s main prison,” Tuilaepa said in a statement.

Headed by the Ombudsman, Maiava Iulai Toma, the inquiry titled “Tafa’igata Prison – Investigating the Allegations Regarding the Mismanagement and Misadministration of Tafa’igata Prison and Other Related Issues” looked at a number of issues at the prison.

Among the issues were alleged loans between prisoners and police officers and sexual misconduct between them.

At the beginning of the commission of inquiry, Police Commissioner Lilomaiava Fou Taioalo and Assistant Police Commissioner Sala Seaga Uili, were suspended.

Tuilaepa said the suspensions were to avoid any influence in the course of the investigation.

They remain “suspended with full pay” and this is likely to continue for another two or three weeks, said Tuilaepa.

Meanwhile, Tuilaepa said: “Cabinet has accepted the recommendations about the improvement of the prison.”

This includes a recommendation for a security fence to be built so as to prevent prisoners from escaping from Tafa’igata.

Tuilaepa also spoke about a lack of programmes for prisoners to obtain skills and talents so that when their term of imprisonment is served, they return to the community as new and rehabilitated people.

“There will also be programmes to rehabilitate the prisoners so that when their term of imprisonment is finished they will come out as changed people.”

This recommendation has started with a choir that is already established and made up of prisoners,he said.