The Ministry of Police, Prisons and Corrections Services (SPPCS) has stated that an article published by Samoa Observer titled "Cop transferred after warning PM's sons for reckless driving" is entirely unfounded and unsupported by any official report, complaint or internal record.

The article stated that Superintendent Tupa'i Sapani Leleimalefaga was transferred because of his warning on the police radio to the Prime Minister's sons for driving a police vehicle recklessly.

The incident was confirmed by up to eight police traffic officers, and further revealed that Inspector Toleafoa Keti Toleafoa replaced Tupa'i as the Head of the Police Traffic Division.

The police statement said, "SPPCS unequivocally rejects the central allegations of the article and states firmly that no such incident occurred.

"The recent transfer of Unit Leaders resulted from an internal organisational review led by the Acting Police Commissioner and Executive Management.

"Following this comprehensive assessment, a reshuffle was implemented in accordance with operational requirements, service delivery priorities and the overall organisational needs of the SPPCS." 

The statement, which was issued on the SPPCS Facebook Page on Saturday, stated that the purpose of the transfer is unrelated to the claims made in the article by the Samoa Observer.

"There has been no instance in which the Prime Minister's sons were warned for reckless driving of police vehicles."

"Police vehicles assigned to the Prime Minister's Security Team are used strictly for official security duties and are operated only by trained and authorised police officers," the statement said.

Attempts to get a comment from the acting police commissioner Leiataua Samuelu Afamasaga were not successful.