Prime Minister Terminates Minister of Agriculture

By Lagi Keresoma/

Apia, Samoa – 10 January 2025 – Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa has terminated the Minister of Agriculture Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Schmidt from Cabinet effective immediately.

The public was informed of the decision this afternoon after a special cabinet meeting and a week of speculations after the Minister was charged last week on charges of conspiracy and fabrication of evidence in relation to the unresolved hit and run incident that killed a university student in April 2021.

Fiame said the decision was not easy since the Minister was charged with criminal charges and the need to protect the integrity of positions of the executive arm of government.

The Prime Minister said the Minister was given two options either to resign or terminated as under 33(3) (e)(o) of the Constitution, but he refused to resign. “After assessing this matter, I reached the decision to terminate him from his ministerial portfolio based on the provision 33(3)(e) of the Constitution,” said the PM’s statement.

When Laauli faced over 300 criminal charges in 2017, he resigned voluntarily but was never reinstated as a Minister of Cabinet even though he was cleared of all charges following the substantive hearing of the charges.

This time, he chose not to resign as he believes the charges are malicious and part of a political plot to remove him from Cabinet and also remove him as Chairman of the FAST Party.

At the end of December 2024, the FAST Party caucus met and 21 members signed a letter addressed to the Prime Minister that they still support Laauli as the Party Chairman. They also expressed their disappointment over alot of issues within the party that require her to explain for the members sake and there are further issues of national interest she has remained silent for far too long.

After Laauli was charged last week, caucus met on Monday this week where the signed letter was discussed and reference to the issue of the party’s confidence in the Prime Minister. After the 6 hour long meeting, the Prime Minister and party agreed to reconcile and confirmed Laauli remain as party chairman.

The PM asked for the confidence issue to be put aside and give her time to make a decision over the three options. 1. Laauli step down; 2. resign and 3. terminate.

The PM and Laauli met again on Tuesday morning and the options were reduced to only the last two of which Laauli gave it to her to make the call.

After the PM’s decision was publicized this afternoon, Laauli said he will wait until he receives the official notice from Cabinet on his termination then look at the next move.

Laauli is one of the main founding members of the Fa’atuatua I le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party that gave Fiame the honour to lead as a woman and considering her cultural status as a prominent high chief and became Samoa’s first ever woman Prime Minister.

*Additional notes provided by Staff Reporters for this story.