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Some charges reduced in missing evidence case
Thursday,
June 25, 2009
Two police officers being charged for the removal of evidence from the Department of Public Safety have been bound over to High Court on felony counts.
They are Lt. Lealofi Salatielu accused of removing cases and cans of wahoo from the evidence room and Patrick Nomura, who is alleged to have been given a gun that had been taken from the Evidence Room by officer Jerry Sauni.
Nomura waived his rights to a preliminary examination while the hearing for Salatielu went ahead. Judge John Ward found there was probably cause to bind him over to High Court on felony charges.
The government amended the felony charges against, officer Misi Leo and taxi driver Onosa'i Aulava to misdemeanors. The two entered pleas of not guilty and the court set their pre trial conference for July 14th.
Assistant Attorney general Lisa Johns said the government believes the misdemeanor charges are more appropriate for the alleged offences by Leo and Aulava.
Court filings say that Aulava and Leo received from officer Jerry Sauni, firearms which were removed from the evidence room. Sauni’s case was bound over to High Court earlier this week.
The preliminary examination for Mike Fuiava Jr., went ahead today. Fuiava was also accused of receiving a weapon that had been stored in the evidence room from officer Sauni. At the end of Fuiava's hearing, the government moved to amend the felony charges against Fuiava to misdemeanors. Judge Ward accepted the motion and scheduled the pre trial conference for Fuiava for July 14th.
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