By Mataeliga Pio Sioa
Attorney General Savalenoa Mareva Betham Annandale is standing firm against a lashing letter from PM Fiame Naomi Mataafa questioning why she has taken no action against the Opposition attacks on the Judiciary.
Savalenoa responded to the letter dated 4 August 2021, in time to meet the demand for a written response from her by 4.00pm on the same day.
But rather than writing her answers down she suggested to the PM that it would be better if they meet in person to discuss the queries raised in her letter.
Calls by the HRPP leader for Chief Justice Satiu Perese to resign did not sit well with Fiame.
In her letter the PM reportedly wanted to know from the Attorney General why she has taken no steps to defend the Judiciary.
Savalenoa was reminded that it is her duty as Attorney General to defend the integrity of the Judiciary and its members from the kind of attacks made by the opposition leader.
The attorney general responded briefly to point out the current political situation in Samoa over the past 5 months that had brought out the good, bad and ugly from Samoans in and outside the country in the exercise of free speech.
She noted that the expression of opinions on the political situation in the country is allowed under Article 13 (the right to freedom of speech and expression).
Critical as it may be, she reminded that it is every person’s Constitutional right.
“What I have noted is that criticisms, whether justified or not, have been leveled against everyone from the last Government to your Government, to the Honourable Judiciary as well as against Government officials including myself,” Savalenoa wrote in her letter of response.
Freedom of speech is, however, not absolute and she pointed that out as well.
“What can be done is that we make an assessment of what has been said, what meets the threshold for an offence, what requires a complainant, and what I can initiate on my own.”
Savalenoa rejected speculations that the angry tone of the PM’s letter could be the start of the end for her staying on in her job.
The attorney general is reportedly on the priority list of senior public servants targetted in a service clean up as part of the election promises by the new Government.
Public speculation of the target list includes the Electoral Commissioner, Commissioner of Police, Ombudsman and more.
Yet to be confirmed are reports that one of the CEOs who was prominent in some of the public rallies by the opposition, served out her last day in office last Friday.
“Well I am not going to resign unless there is a valid reason why I should,” Savalenoa reacted when asked about it.
“ My job is to advice the Government and if the roles were reversed then the lawyers working for their party would do the same work I am doing if they were here where I am.”
The attorney general recalled an earlier speech by the PM to the staff under her ministerial portfolio on Monday 2 August 2021and the ‘beautiful message from the Bible’ she quoted of a ‘future of hope.’
“ I walked away with a sense of hope that the start of your term as our first woman Prime Minister will restore peace and hope for our country.”
Savalenoa ended her letter to the PM in the hope that they meet in person to discuss further the queries Fiame brought up in her letter.