Police confirm a pistol & why assassination plot wasn’t treated seriously

By Lagi Keresoma/

Apia, Samoa – 04 June 2025 – The high profile court case against the FAST Party leader, Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Schmidt and 5 others, continued in court this week with defense counsel Kathryn Dalziel picking from where she left off in her cross examination of Superintendent Tupai Leleimalefaga who led the second police investigation into the unresolved hit and run incident.

Dalziel took up questioning about a gun allegedly given by Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi to Samuelu (Sam) Su’a in an alleged assassination plot against the Minister of Agriculture Laauli Leuatea Polataivao and the Minister of Works Olo Fiti Vaa.

Tupai confirmed Sam’s statement as read in court, that told them the gun was a 45 pistol which police confiscated during a drug raid at Daryl Mapu’s home in December 2021.

However, Tupai said the gun they confiscated from the raid was a “little bigger than the pistol described by Sam.”

Last week, Tupai talked about the difference between the pistol and the gun he said was found at the raid. However, when asked about the 45 pistol yesterday, he said he did not know much about such a gun but is only familiar with a 12-gauge shot gun which is a rifle.

“We are talking about a pistol,” asked Dalziel.

“I do not know much about pistols but I do know there was a pistol,” said Tupai.

When pushed further, he said he can’t talk about things that might be hearsay but there are specialists in the Tactical Operation Squad (TOS) who know more about guns.

When asked if any of the gun experts was giving evidence, Tupai said no.

Dalziel told Tupai that Daryl said he received the gun indirectly, but Tupai said to let Daryl testify on  that.

The assassination plot should have been treated seriously
Sam’s statement speaks of selling the gun to Daryl through another person after he was not able to carry out the alleged assassination plot.

He said he had the gun for some time and at one stage, Leala followed up with him about the assassination and he also wanted to know if he still had the gun to which Sam said “yes”.

The gun was part of the defense cross examination yesterday. But the alleged plot to assassinate Laauli and Olo came to light during the Police Commissioner Auapaau Logoitino Filipo’s testimony last week.

The alleged plot came up during a meeting between the Commissioner, Laauli, the Minister of Police Faualo Harry Schuster and former police inspector Li’o Faataumalama Auava where Li’o presented the report on his investigation that identified three witnesses now facing charges of conspiracy and providing false information among others.

Li’o is one of the defendants in the current trial and his lawyer Maposua Tanya Toailoa put to Tupa’i that the alleged assassination plot was a serious matter and should have been treated “seriously.”

Maposua said because of its seriousness, Laauli reported the plot directly to the Prime Minister and he Auapaau was asked if he supported Laauli’s action by going directly to the Prime Minister.

“I know it’s good, but it is the duty of the police to investigate and confirm if there was a threat,” the Police Commissioner said.

He also pointed out that they can report directly to the Attorney General or the Ombudsman if they did not wish to approach the police, but the Commissioner believed that this was not done because of the motive to fabricate information.

“Can a private individual take their concern directly to the Cabinet?” asked Maposua.

“They can, but the AG’s office can only oversee the investigation but not report to the police,” said Auapaau.

He accused Li’o of giving Laauli wrong advice.

Auapaau said if there was such a plot, police should have been informed  and they would conduct the investigation instead of Laauli.

Maposua pointed to the concern of safety of witnesses and the reason why they did not want to approach the police directly, but Auapaau said there are other ways they could have gone through which is either through  the AG or  the Ombudsman office.

Auapaau believes the reason why they did not want to do this either was because there was a “motive behind all the fabricated information.”

He also said if Li’o believed Leala was the suspect, why didn’t he arrest Leala instead of referring it to the police?

Maposua put to Auapaau that time was of the essence given the seriousness of such threat but Auapaau said the police should have been informed.

It was also put to him that the Prime Minister reacted immediately because two of her ministers’ lives had been threatened, but Auapaau said he did not know when Laauli informed the Prime Minister of the assassination plot.

The case continues.