Court decision on high profile case postponed for the 4th time

By Lagi Keresoma/

Apia, SAMOA – 20 March 2026: The long-awaited decision by Senior District Court Judge Talasa Atoa Saaga on the high-profile case involving Prime Minister and 5 others have been postponed one more time.

The decision was scheduled to be delivered at 1.00pm today However, at 5 minutes to the hour, the counsels were called into Chambers. A few minutes later, counsels returned to court and spoke to their clients.

A few minutes after 1.00pm, Judge Saaga appeared and requested for a final postponement to next Friday 27 March 2026 as she needed more time to finalise her written decision.

She told the defendants, families and supporters crowded in a small court room, that she is aware of the weight of the case on the defendants, their families and the country but she said that she could not deliver a decision that is full and complete.

She stated that this would be the final adjournment then rescheduled the decision to be delivered at 1.00pm next Friday 27 March 2026.

When she last adjourned her decision on 27 February to today, she requested those in the court room to prayer for her.

Outside Court this afternoon, Laaulialemalietoa led a prayer service and acknowledged the Judge’s request and asked the supporters country and supporters for patience.

“We left last week from this place with the understanding that today the decision will be delivered and prayed for God’s guidance on the Judge because her work is not easy,” said Laauli.

Responding to Laauli was Teleiai Edwin Puni who acknowledged the support of Samoans residing overseas.

He acknowledged Laauli not as a leader of a political party but the Prime Minister and leader of Samoa.

The case and charges
The case Judge Saaga presided on took five weeks from late May to June 2025 on the charges of obstruction, defamation, conspiracy and misleading information against Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa, former Member of Parliament – Fepuleai Faimata Su’a, former Police Inspector – Lio Faataumalama Auava, Lise Marie Schmidt, Samuelu (Sam) Sua and Sivai Kepi.

The charges stemmed from circumstances surrounding the unresolved hit and run incident that killed a university student in April 2021.

The defence counsels are Muriel Lui and KC Richard Marchant for Laauli, Lise and Fepuleai; Katheryn Dalzeil for Sam and Sivai and Maposua Tanya Toailoa for Li’o Faataumalama.

The counsel for police is Leinafo Taimalelagi Strickland.