By Staff Writer
A formal request from Samoa to extradite from Australia one of the alleged plotters to kill the Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi is still pending after more than a year.
Attorney General Savalenoa Mareva Betham Annandale confirmed in an updated statement at the weekend that her office is still waiting after making the request in February 2020.
Australian based Mr. Talalelei Pauga is one of three people charged with plotting the death of PM Tuilaepa back in 2019.
He has been fighting in the Australian court for a stay in extradition with claims the charges against him are politically motivated and he will not get a fair trial in Samoa.
A person who is already serving a 5-year prison term implicated Mr. Pauga directly in the conspiracy, when he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to assassinate the Prime Minister.
The court ruling to convict 39 year Mr. Taualai Leiloa, showed that Pauga sent him the money to do the killing.
Leiloa bought a rifle and a .38 revolver to carry out his mission at the targetted locations at the Si’usega Catholic village church where the PM prays and the Savalalo Fish Market that he frequented.
The would-be assassin, however, admitted in court he had no intention of doing what was asked of him and that he only wanted to money to spend on his family.
Amnesty International is , however, taking an interest in the extradition fight by making public their concerns about a fair trial for Pauga.
A spokesperson for the human rights watch group has called for the Australian authorities to consider what appears to be a politically motivated pursuit of Pauga.
Attorney General Savalenoa in her statement rubbished the claims.
“There is sufficient evidence to support the charge against Mr. Pauga, and he must be brought back to Samoa to stand trial,” AG Savalenoa stated.
“The concerns that Mr Pauga will not get a fair trial are unfounded. Our laws provide protection for individual rights such as the right to a fair trial and our Court system also guarantees that any defendant, including Mr Pauga, will receive a fair trial.”
The AG noted that the PM has many critics which maybe tolerated but “ if it extends to plotting’ his death then “ such criticisms are unacceptable,”
“The plotting of the assassination of the leader of an independent country is illegal and is an offence punishable by life imprisonment. Therefore, our action to extradite Mr Pauga is not politically motivated at all. Mr Pauga must be brought back to Samoa to stand trial.”
Savalenoa is determined to pursue the extradition of Pauga based on “ sufficient evidence to support the offence alleged to have been committed by Mr. Pauga.”
At this stage the Attorney General is patiently awaiting the outcome of the extradition proceedings in Australia.