On August 13, 2019, Samoan police confirmed they had foiled an assassination plot against Prime MinisterTuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi. It is the third attempt to assassinate Malielegaoi, after another failed try in 1999 where one of his Cabinet members was killed, and another uncovered in December 2010. Though motives have not yet been established, Samoan police initially arrested two men, and later charged a third. The three of them appeared in an Apia court on September 9, 2019, where two of them entered not-guilty pleas, while the other pleaded guilty. As of September 9, Samoa is working to extradite Talalelei Pauga from Australia in connection to the plot.
Malielagoi has been the Prime Minister of Samoa since 1998 when he was appointed as the country's new leader. He was subsequently reelected in parliamentary elections since 2001 and remains in power as of January 2020. On July 16, 1999, 34-year-old Eletise Leafa Vitale attempted to kill Malielagoi, but killed the Minister of Public Work Luagalau Levaula Kamu instead. Vitale was charged with capital murder and conspiracy to assassinate the Prime Minister and was sentenced to death. His death sentence was ultimately commuted to life imprisonment without parole. In December 2010, police received threats that a plan to kill the Prime Minister was underway. The threats were taken seriously due to the 1999 incident.
2019 plot
On August 13, 2019 police confirmed to the media they had arrested Taualai Leiloa, Malele Atofu Paulo and Lema'i Faioso Sione on charges of conspiracy to commit murder. According to police sources, the plot was developed from April 2019 through early August of the same year. Along with the three detained, police believe that a Samoan man, Talalelei Pauga, based in Australia is believed to be behind the plot as well and are trying to extradite him. Police in Samoa say there were money exchanges between Pauga and the three men arrested in Samoa, with one of them being a married man from the Lauli'i village. Since motivations have yet to be established, security surrounding Malielagoi tightened up, with Australia taking further steps to protect him while on a visit to the country on September 8, 2019. On September 9, 2019, Leiloa, Paulo and Sione appeared in court for the first time where the first pleaded guilty to the charges whilst Paulo and Sione entered a not-guilty plea. Leiloa is due to be sentenced on September 30, 2019. Meanwhile, Paulo and Sione will have a hearing date to be set soon where it's expected they will be accused of conspiracy to commit murder. If found guilty they could face up to life imprisonment.
Legal proceedings
On September 18, 2019, the prosecution announced they would have Eletise Leafa Vitale, the man convicted of killing the Minister Luagalau Levaula Kamu and who also tried to kill the Prime Minister, as a witness against the two men who entered the not-guilty plea. On September 21, 2019, both defendants appeared in court again for bail hearings but the hearings were adjourned until October 16, 2019 when new legal matters will be heard. It will be then that a bail hearing date will be set. On October 16, 2019, both defendants re-appeared in court for their bail hearings, but it was delayed again due to the Attorney General's worries that the threat to the life of the Prime Minister persists. He asked that the bail hearings be behind closed doors and not publicised by the media. On October 30, 2019, the Supreme Court of Samoa approved the closed court bail hearings for the two defendants in the case and they will have their hearings on November 30. On February 28, 2020 both defendants were granted bail with some strict conditions. They are due to appear in court March 2 for a hearing date to be set. On July 23, 2020, the Supreme Court denied a return to Australia to Sione and Paulo, arguing that they could possibly not return for the trial, which is set for November.
Change and re-change of plea of Taualai Leiloa
However due to be sentenced on September 30, his sentencing was postponed until October 14, 2019. When Taualai Leiloa appeared before the Court to be sentenced, the prosecution asked the judge that Leiloa have a lawyer to represent him. The judge agreed due to the seriousness of the charges against him. However, Leiloa alleged he couldn't afford a lawyer, for which his sentence was postponed until November 1 while they seek legal counsel for him. On November 1, 2019, when he was due to be sentenced, Leiloa asked the judge to change his plea from guilty to not-guilty, after being advised by his legal lawyer. On February 7, 2020, Leiloa's lawyer announced before the court that her client would withdraw his not-guilty plea and stick to his original guilty plea. The prosecution is set to announce a sentencing date for Leiloa.
