Prison Break

At first I was not excited to be living near the Tafuna Correctional Facility THE territory prison,but after reading this gem in Samoa News, my fears are gone. I swear, you can't make this stuff up.

By La PoasaSamoa News Staff
Two TCF escapees are scheduled to appear today at the District Court for their preliminary examination hearing in connection with their escape from jail late December of last year. The inmates, Sione Muliaga and Suisape Tavete, are each facing escape from commitment and property damage in the first degree. They made their initial appearance in District Court on Tuesday.
The charges against the two stem from an incident that allegedly occurred on Dec. 28, 2006. On this day, at about 6:30 a.m., a TCF officer reported seeing a large hole in the wall of one of the cells. The hole was created by the two inmates, the government's case claims. When confronted by police, Muliaga admitted to a police officer that he and Tavete had made the hole in the wall, then left the jail building by that hole, climbed the fence to exit the facility, and then gone to Fagaima.
Muliaga said there, they met Muliaga's father, who drove them around for a while before dropping them off at Lions Park, from where they returned to their assigned cell in reverse order of their path of escape.
Tavete admitted to the TCF warden that he had created the hole in the wall of Cell No. 4 of Bravo Unit. He did not admit leaving the facility, but he was seen outside of the 'hole' by three inmates whose names are being withheld for their protection, the government's case said. According to Warden Moliga, the wall will have to be reconstructed (rebar and concrete) at a cost of more than $1,000.
At today's hearing, the district court judge will determine whether the government has sufficient evidence to bound the charges against the two over to the High Court for trial or other disposition.
Both defendants remain in jail as they are currently serving felony convictions. They are being represented by the Public Defender's Office. Each charge of escape from commitment and property damage in the first degree is punishable by a jail term of up to five years, a fine of $5,000, or both.

I am not sure why they would need to make a hole, because most of the time the front gate in unlocked. Click here for more great stories about our local jail.