Court again postpones hearing of submissions due to Prosecution delay

By Lagi Keresoma/

Apia, Samoa – 6 October 2025: District Court Senior Judge Talasa Atoa Saaga today adjourned the hearing of the final submissions in the case against Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Fosi and five other defendants.

This is because prosecution has not filed all submissions as the court set down to be heard last month and postponed submissions to today.

In court today, one of the defence counsels Muriel Lui informed Judge Saaga that out of the 6 defendants, they only received four submissions from prosecution when there should be six.

Judge Saaga then made an order for all counsels to submit the copies of their submission by 14 November and set the hearing of submission on 24 and 25 November 2025.

Background
The defendants in the high-profile case are Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa, former Member of Parliament Fepuleai Faimata Su’a, former Police Inspector Li’o Faataumalama Auava, Lise Schmidt, Samuelu Su’a and Sivai Kepi.

The charges include fabricating evidence, conspiracy to commit an offence, harassment using electronic devices and defamation.

The charges stemmed from the unresolved hit and run incident at Vaitele in April 2021 that killed a young university student, Tu’uau Faasavalu.

The hearing started in late May and finished in June 2025 with the final submissions set to be heard last month (September).

However, due to the delay in filing the prosecution’s submissions, the court has again adjourned to the last week of November 2025.

Towards the end of the hearing of the case, defence applied for a no case to answer when the police’s main witness changed her statement.

Judge Saaga has yet to deliver her ruling on the application.