Contempt of Court Accused Given Options

By Lagi Keresoma/

Apia, Samoa – 12 December 2023: Three people charged with contempt of court are to decide whether to remove a relative buried on land against a court order or serve 6 months imprisonment.

The accused pleaded guilty to contempt of court and have been given time to consider the options before the court gives its ruling.

District Court Judge Leota Raymond Schuster told the accused that they are still in contempt of court and the matter will be recalled for a decision next week.

The charges stemmed from an incident in September when the Court granted an interim order to stop the burial of the accused’s relative on land claimed by the complainants as theirs.

However one of the Ministry of Justice & Court Administrations’ drivers and an Assistant Chief Executive Officer stopped the police officer from executing the order.

The police officer returned to her Faleolo post without executing the Court order and the funeral and burial service for the deceased proceeded on the disputed land.

The incident happened in September this year and the ACEO and driver involved were being investigated by the Ministry.