Two who conspired to murder Samoa's former prime minister jailed

Apia, SAMOA — The Supreme Court on Friday jailed two men for conspiracy to murder the former prime minister Tuilaepa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi.

Presided over by the Senior Supreme Court Judge, Justice Vui Clarence Nelson, the court jailed defendant Malele Paulo otherwise known as King Faipopo for four years, and his co-defendant Lemai Faioso Sione for four and a half years.

Paulo and Sione were found guilty by a panel of assessors in March this year. The third defendant in the matter, Talalelei Pauga, who is also known as Ninja, remains in Australia and is yet to stand trial on the same charge. The trio had maintained their plea of not guilty to the charge. 

Justice Vui issued orders to suppress the media from publishing evidence of the case as the co-defendant Pauga is yet to be extradited to Samoa to stand trial. 

The fourth defendant, Taualai Leiloa who was on the same charge, pleaded guilty to the joint charge of conspiracy to murder in December 2020 and is currently serving a five-year prison term.

Read more at The Observer