A bail application by a husband who is accused of the murder of his wife has been denied.

The decision was delivered by Chief Justice, His Honour Patu Tiava’asu’e Falefatu Sapolu, in the hearing of Kolani Junior Lam, who is accused in the death of the former Chief Executive Officer of the Unit Trust of Samoa (U.T.O.S.), Sa’u Justina Sa’u. 

In delivering his decision yesterday, His Honour Patu said the Supreme Court is satisfied “there is a significant risk” should Lam be given bail.

 “The application for bail is denied. This matter is further adjourned for re-mention on December 10, 2018 Monday to set a hearing in date for February 2019,” he ruled. 

Last week prosecuting lawyer, Leone Su’a, of the Attorney General’s Office cited risks that she said warrants the defendant being kept in custody — to ensure he did not reoffend and interfere with witnesses. 

The witnesses include the daughter of the deceased, the babysitter, the mother of the deceased and the son of the defendant.

Su’a informed the Court last week that the daughter of the deceased has chimes in her room, which will alert her if anyone entered her room and she also sleeps with a knife under her pillow. 

According to the lawyer, the babysitter had indicated that the defendant had written to her from jail, which Su’a argued was an attempt to influence her evidence in Court.

When ruling on the bail application yesterday, the Chief Justice said: “I am satisfied that there is a real and significant risk that the application may interfere with police witnesses if granted bail and that there is no other matter that would make it unjust to detained in the applicant. The application for bail is denied.”

The defendant was represented in yesterday’s hearing by counsel Leiataualesa Komisi Koria.