Coroner prohibits publication of Sia Figiel’s postmortem results

By Lagi Keresoma/

Apia, SAMOA – 8 February 2026: The Coroner, Judge Papalii Rosela Viane Papalii has issued an order prohibiting the publication or broadcast of any information relating to the results of the postmortem conducted on the late Papalii Sia Figiel whose dead body was found in her prison cell two weeks ago.

The order was issued on 7 February 2026 after the Ministry of Police and Samoa Global News published the postmortem result on their Facebook Pages on 6 February 2026.

“Unless approved by the Coroner, all persons including the Ministry of Police and all media outlets in Samoa and abroad, are strictly prohibited by publishing or broadcast in any way or form, any details relating to the manner of death of Ms. Figiel or any other death where there is reasonable cause to be the death was self-inflicted,” said the Coroner.

The normal process of declaring a cause of death after a postmortem is through an inquest which is conducted before the Coroner in Court.

However, the Ministry of Police published the results before it went before an inquest.

Most concerning to the Coroner, is the disclosure of a preliminary forensic findings that the death was self-inflicting and that manner it was done.

She has ordered the removal of the findings as published on the identified social media platforms.