No NZ police investigating defamation complaints in Samoa

By Lance Polu/

Apia, Samoa – 05 February 2025 – The New Zealand Police National Headquarters in Wellington has confirmed that no police from New Zealand have been requested to investigate a defamation complaint with the Samoan police.

The revelation comes following media announcements by the Samoan Police Commissioner, Auapa’au Logoitino Filipo on 21 and 25 January that the New Zealand police were assisting the Samoa police investigate a defamation complaint against former Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Maliegaoi and HRPP Secretary Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi.

Talamua obtained written confirmation from the New Zealand Police National headquarters in Wellington dated 30 January 2025, that the “New Zealand Police have had no official request to investigate this matter, and we would not investigate a case of this nature.”

Since the confirmation, Talamua has been following up a response from Police Commissioner Aua’apau and have sent a list of questions on email and has yet to get a response.

Police said the Commissioner left for New Zealand early this week and is expected back at work Thursday 6 February.

Auapa’au was responding to media enquiries on 21 January that the FAST Party leader Laauli’s 2023 complaint is still under investigation and the New Zealand police were assisting local police with the investigation.

The complaint relate to the unresolved 2021 hit and run incident and the comments by the HRPP Secretary on a video clip posted on social media that implied Laauli and his late former Associate Minister, Vaele Iona Pa’ia’aua’s involvement.

In the video clip, Lealailepule went further to name the Police Commissioner as the source of information saying the wife of the late MP, Tupuola Mati Vaele confessed to the police commissioner that her late husband was involved.

The comments were repeated by former PM Tuilaepa weeks later and implied that if the late Associate Minister was involved, then Laauli must have knowledge as he was his former Associate Minister.

Laauli and Tupuola then filed complaints with the police in September/October 2023.

However, the Police Commissioner only gave the update that the New Zealand Police were involved in the investigation when asked by the media during parliament recess on 21 January 2025.

This was after Laauli pointed out in a press conference the week before, the disparity in police treatment of cases as they were quick to investigate and charge him for a much later complaint compared to his and Tupuola’s complaints filed in 2023.