Police officers attached to Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt seized a camera belonging to the Samoa Observer and took it into an elevator with the Prime Minister at the Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi Building on Tuesday morning.

The incident occurred as Parliament sittings are temporarily being held at the Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi (TATTE) building while new legislative offices funded by Australia are under construction.

Samoa Observer photographer Keith Ropati said he arrived at the building about 8.31am with reporter Sulamanaia Manaui Faulalo to cover proceedings.

Ropati said he was approached by police officer Fiaalii Samuelu, who is part of the Prime Minister’s security detail, and was told he could photograph other Members of Parliament but not the Prime Minister.

“He told me I can take photos of any MP except Laauli,” Ropati said. “He said, ‘You know very well the old man does not allow you to take photos of him.’”

According to Ropati, Samuelu also said that although the area was a public space, photographs of the Prime Minister were not allowed.

When the Prime Minister arrived and a photograph was taken, Ropati said Samuelu forcefully took the camera, which was clearly Samoa Observer property.

Samuelu then passed the camera to Constable Luka Tagata, another police officer accompanying the Prime Minister, who took it into the elevator with the Prime Minister as he left the area. The camera had not been returned at the time of publication.

Reporter Sulamanaia Manaui Faulalo said she attempted to retrieve the camera and told the officers: “That’s our property.”

She said police officer Jordan Sale, who is also attached to the Prime Minister’s security detail, then pushed her away from the area as she tried to recover the camera.

When she pulled out her phone, she said the device was struck and she was repeatedly pushed back. The incident was captured on video by the Samoa Observer.

“Don’t be rude,” Sale said while pushing her outside.

The confrontation occurred in a public area outside the TATTE building where reporters had gathered to cover parliamentary proceedings.

The incident follows ongoing tensions between the government and the media. During a recent joint press conference with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, the Prime Minister, who also holds the police portfolio, ordered police to remove a reporter after he asked a question.

The Samoa Observer has been barred from the Prime Minister’s press conferences and those of Cabinet ministers since last year and has also been restricted from photographing the Prime Minister in public settings.

The restrictions stem from the Prime Minister’s dissatisfaction with reporting during a period when he was privately flown to New Zealand for medical treatment at a public hospital in Auckland shortly after being sworn into office.

Articles cited by the Prime Minister included an opinion piece, a report questioning a manipulated photograph released by the government showing the Prime Minister seated in a chair rather than a wheelchair, a story about meetings with foreign leaders while overseas against the advice of his advisers, and a report about a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister Toelupe Poumulinuku Onesemo and government chief executives that the Prime Minister said never occurred. The Prime Minister also accused Samoa Observer reporters of trespassing.

The restrictions on the Samoa Observer have now been in place for 113 days.