Samoa’s new Police Commissioner Auapaau Logoitino Filipo is honored with the appointment made by the Cabinet to oversee the Ministry of Police and Prisons for the next three years.
“I am honored and humbled. All the glory goes to God,” he said in a brief interview with Radio Polynesia today.
The Commissioner post has been vacant since August last year when the former Police Commissioner Fuiavaili’ili Egon Keil resigned from offce.
Since last year August, the Acting Commissioner position was rotated amongst the three Deputy Police Commissioners, including Auapa’au; Papalii Monalisa Keti, and Leiataua Samuelu Afamasaga.
Today Auapau was supposed to take over as Acting Commissioner instead he has been appointed as Police Commissioner.
He served as one of the Commissioners for the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI), a partnership between the people and government of Solomon Islands and fifteen contributing countries of the Pacific region including Samoa. The Mission is majority-funded and led by Australia.
RAMSI arrived in the Solomon Islands in July 2003 at the request of the Solomon Islands Government. Since then, RAMSI has been helping the Solomon Islands lay the foundations for long-term stability, security, and prosperity.
The partnership forged between the people and Government of Solomon Islands and RAMSI has achieved much in the years since. Law and order have been restored, national institutions have been rebuilt and the Solomon Islands economy has been reformed.
Auapa’au returned to Samoa in 2017 when RAMSI concluded its mission in the Solomons when he was a Police Superintendent, and elevated to Assistant Commissioner in 2019, six months later he was appointed as Deputy Commissioner.
Auapa’au 52 of Falevao, Manono, Salimu Fagaloa and Vaimoso has been a Police officer for over 24 years.
