No Need for Overseas Police to Assist in Unresolved Case, says Prime Minister

By LAGI KERESOMA/

Apia, Samoa – 31 January 2024: Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa told Parliament last night that there was no need to engage overseas police to investigate the unresolved hit and run incident that killed a young university student at Vaitele in April 2021.

Fiame was responding to Safata 1 Member of Parliament, Leaana Ronnie Posini who asked for an update on the Cabinet decision that announced the engagement of overseas police on the case.

The Prime Minister said there was no need to bring overseas police as there are already overseas police officers working with the Ministry in Samoa.

She did not specifically say whether these officers have been engaged already to work on the case which has implicated members of parliament.

Last September, Cabinet decided to seek the Attorney Generals advice to engage overseas police to assist with the investigation after a former police witness publicly named people in connection with the unresolved case.

The same witness also alleged a police cover up, the involvement of drugs and an alleged plot to assassinate two cabinet ministers.

Fiame was overseas at the time and the cabinet decision was announced by the Acting Prime Minister, Tuala Iosefo Ponifasio.

Tuala also revealed at the time that the Minister of Police, Faualo Harry Schuster has declared his conflict of interest as he was related to one of the MPs implied and was withdrawn from any involvement in the case.

Last Thursday, the Minister of Police, Faualo Harry Schuster told parliament that at the end of its investigations, police have decided not to charge anyone implicated due to the lack of credible evidence.

Last Friday, police charged the witness Samuelu Su’a (Sam) for defamation.

Last night, Fiame put an end to the issue of overseas police coming to investigate the unresolved hit and run case.

Samoan police currently work closely with the Australian Federal Police on a number of security projects and it is not known whether they will be engaged to assist with the investigation after the Minister of Police said police have found no evidence to charge anyone.