The FAST political party leader, Fiame Naomi Mataafa, is liable for new criminal charges over remarks, alleged to be defamatory, against the Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi,
The Government caretaker leader has filed an official complaint with the Ministry of Police over a widely circulated video on the FAST Facebook page alleging attempts to influence judges of the court.
A written press release was also circulated at the same time to the local and international media of the allegations on Wednesday 17 July 2021.
The PM soundly denied the allegations by Fiame that:
….“ Unlike Tuilaepa who has personally visited the Court complex at Mulinu’u attempting to speak to three sitting Supreme Court Judges (before the 17 May cases were decided) accompanied by others, and ho has also sent his former MPs to attempt to visit Judges in their private homes to speak with them prior to Court hearings.
“ We have not sought to undermine the Court in such an inappropriate matter. This type of behaviour is outrageous and strikes at the heart of what is good, what is right and the conventions which are at the heart of our democracy….” end of statement.
PM Tuilaepa rejected the remarks as “untrue in every respect.”
“I deny every aspect of Fiame’s statement and release as irresponsible and even negligent to the highest degree,” Tuilaepa protested in his police complaint.
“ The intention is clear, to defame my person and to question the integrity of my position as Caretaker Prime Minister of Samoa.
“Fiame’s statement itself is outrageous and strikes at the heart of what is good, what is right and conventions which are at the heart of Samoa’s democracy and aptly describes what she herself is attempting to do.”
Among the criminal charges the Prime Minister would like to seen considered against his political rival is criminal libel.