Attorney General Appeals Drug Offender’s Sentence

By Lagi Keresoma

Apia, SAMOA – 26 March 2024: The Attorney General is appealing sentence imposed District Court Judge, Loau Donald Kerslake’s on convicted drug offender Peseta Sefulua Pu’eleo.

Last month, Loau convicted Peseta on two counts of importing 900 grams of the illegal drug methamphetamine hidden in cereal and other goods and imposed a $3000 tala fine to be paid within 14 days of sentencing.

During the hearing, the AG prosecutor asked for a custodian sentence and presented two cases of a similar nature where the defendants were sentenced to prison terms.

Peseta was an employee of the Ministry of Customs & Revenue.

In December 2020, the Customs office detained a consignment of food suspected to be drugs and again in February 2021, another consignment of food with Peseta’s name on it arrived.

Police were called in and opened the consignment and found packets of cereal, washing powder, a variety of snacks and small bottle filled with the prohibited substance.

The consignments were sent from America.

Peseta was arrested and charged and denied the charges in 2021.

Two years later in November 2023, Peseta was found guilty.

Last month, Judge Loau delivered his decision and fined Peseta $3000 for the two charges.

That decision is now being appealed by the Attorney General’s office.

The Court of Appeal sits next month.