Notorious criminal Tagaloasa Filipaina passes away

By Talaia Mika

APIA, SAMOA -11 APRIL 2022: The notorious Samoan criminal and drug dealer Tagaloasa Filipaina Faisauvale passed away Sunday morning while awaiting his request for parole.

Assistant Police Commissioner, Auapaau Logoitino Filipo confirmed the prisoner passed away at the National Hospital at Motootua.

Tagaloasa had been closely associated with the illegal drugs trade and the cultivation of marijuana at his village of Faleatiu.

He served a life sentence for the murder and shooting of a police officer during a police raid at Faleatiu village in 1980.

But in early 2000, he along with several prisoners were freed on parole.

But he was back in prison when he reoffended in 2009 on drugs and assault charges.

In 2018, his name was associated with a failed prison breakout at Tafaigata prison at night while Samoa was bracing for cyclone Gita.

He was allowed out of prison to receive a matai title in December same year to public criticisms of the authorities for letting him out.  In the same year, he applied for parole which was deferred to another date.

In 2019, Tagaloasa and another prisoner were detained at the Police headquarters while awaiting their appearance in Court for the failed prison break. Tagaloasa’s request to return to Tafaigata prison was declined in a move to remove contact with other prisoners.

His request for parole on health issues was revisited last year. He died on Sunday morning at TTM hospital while waiting a decision on his request for parole on health reasons.