Lawyer tells Media not to report on Chinese businessmen’s case

By Lagi Keresoma

Apia, Samoa – 08 November 2023: A local lawyer representing a Chinese businessman in a court case against his business partner told the media that they cannot report on the case because it is an international matter.

The case is between two Chinese businessmen Chan Tsung-Tsu and Chang Yu Chen & others that started in the Supreme court yesterday.

The presiding Judge was Chief Justice Satiu Simativa Perese with counsels Semi Leung Wai and Ladesha Stevenson representing separate clients.

After the morning hearing session, Stevenson with her client confronted the media outside Court and warned them against reporting the case.

“This is an international matter and cannot be reported,” Stevenson told the media.

A reporter responded that they have reported on many international cases before and did not understand what the lawyer was on about.

The reporter also informed the lawyer that only when a Judge gives a suppression order that the media obey, however, she insisted that international legal matters cannot be reported as stated in the Act.

Asked which Act she was referring to, she said “you cannot report on the case” and walked away.

One of the parties in the court case, businessman Chan Tsung-Tsu and counsel Semi Leung Wai leaving Court.

Prior to the confrontation outside court, the lawyer signaled the court Registrar during the court hearing to tell the media that they cannot be in court.

The Registrar then sent a text to one of the reporters that “the lawyer said media not allowed to report on the case.”

The reporter responded “What does the CJ say” to which the Registrar said she would ask him.

She then wrote a note and gave it to the Chief Justice who looked at it, put it aside and continued with the trial.

The Registrar sent another text which said “remain in Court until the CJ says different.”

The case is continuing today.