Police: American Samoa jailers let inmates go on unsupervised beer runs

PAGO PAGO, American Samoa – Two corrections officers at American Samoa’s only jail are suspected of letting inmates leave to go on beer and food runs.

Officers Fiti Aina and Rocky Tua were charged this week with aiding the escape of a prisoner, permitting escape and public servant acceding to corruption.

A police search at Territorial Correctional Facility in July turned up beer in an inmate’s cell.

Police say that while trying to find out how it got there, they learned the officers were sending inmates unsupervised to a nearby store. One inmate allowed out is serving 40 months for assaulting another man with a machete.

Court documents say an inmate told investigators he bought beer for another inmate and chips and cookies for Tua.

Aina and Tua were each held on $10,000 bail.