Appeal of Samoan convicted of human trafficking dismissed

Wellington, NEW ZEALAND — Joseph Auga Matamata, who had been jailed for 11 years, had his application for leave to appeal dismissed on Thursday.

New Zealand's Solicitor-General appealed against the sentence imposed on the 67-year-old. 

While the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal against conviction, it allowed the Solicitor-General’s appeal against sentence only to the extent of imposing a minimum period of imprisonment of five years. 

In 2020, the Napier High Court jailed Matamata for taking 13 Samoans to Hastings for horticultural work over the last 25 years and overworking them for little to no pay. 

He was found guilty of 10 counts of human trafficking and 13 counts in dealing in slaves and acquitted of one trafficking charge. 

In the same year, the Crown seized Matamata’s property to pay his victims' reparations – half of his shares including shares in Hastings homes. 

In his application for leave to appeal, Matamata argued the Court erred in its conclusion, particularly the difference in wording between the old and new Crimes Act he was prosecuted under.

But the Court dismissed the submission and considered that there is no risk of miscarriage of justice in the present case. 

Read more at Samoa Observer