Six youths referred to Police

By Ilia L. Likou 18 February 2016, 12:00AM

Six young men from Sinamoga have been referred to the Police for investigation and possible charges.

The men are suspected to have vandalised an election billboard at Sinamoga, belonging to Urban West Election candidate, Faumuina Wayne Fong.

Faumuina told the Samoa Observer he has referred the matter to the Police.

“One of them took the photo off the billboard after damaging it on 7th January at 4.am and posted it on Facebook,” he said.

“I think that’s one of the reasons why the police easily tracked them down.”

The billboard was initially damaged two weeks ago. At the time, the candidate suspected that the act was deliberate, as someone would have had to scale the rather tall billboard with a knife to rip it.

As a result, he lodged a complaint with the Police. 

At the time, he said he offered a cash reward as an incentive to help the Police with their work.

But Faumuina changed his mind a couple of days later.

“It's fixed and it’s smiling again,” he wrote on his Facebook page, thanking Niko Caferelli and the Design Studio crew for their generosity.

“I have decided to withdraw my complaint with the police, forgive the brother who did it and move forward from here. 

“Urban West has more pressing issues and developments that needs taking care of A.S.A.P.”

But then last Sunday, the billboard was vandalised yet again. 

This time, the hole was bigger, there was tagging on the sign and there was a note expressed through the number “300” at the bottom of the billboard.

 “We suspect that the damage was done at the same time as the first one…I think it was sometime on Sunday morning.”

According to Faumuina, he has moved on but he has now left it up to the Police.

 “This second time, I am now lodging a formal complaint with the police so they can handle it.”

It was not possible to get a comment from the Police.

 

By Ilia L. Likou 18 February 2016, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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