A Senior Cabinet Minister and Fa'atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (F.A.S.T.) Chairman has accepted a legal challenge by the Opposition party's secretary Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi.

Speaking on the Soalepule programme on Friday night, the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, La'auli Leuatea Schmidt declared that he accepts the legal challenge by the Faleata No. 3 M.P. if that is the only way to "find justice". 

He also suggested to Lealailepule, who is the Human Rights Protection (H.R.P.P.) secretary, that the court proceedings that he instituted against the EFKS TV station and the host of the Soalepule programme be removed from the lawsuit. 

"Direct your legal challenge to me," La'auli fired back at Lealailepule. "If you want to take this matter to court, then don't include others like the TV station and the host of the programme. 

"If you want to take me to court, then we'll see you in court. If that is the way to find justice once and for all, then let's go to court."

According to La'auli, Lealailepule should have focused on taking the "witness" Samuelu Sua to court, who made the Faleata No. 3 M.P. the main suspect for the unresolved hit-and-run case two years ago.

"We did not come up with those claims," La'auli added. "It was Samuelu and his three witnesses. We were only trying to explain what we knew of the claims as we had been approached by this witness. 

"I've been waiting for the chance to prove these claims once and for all and if police are not doing their job, and if the court is the only way to find justice, then I accept the challenge from Leala. Let's go to court."

La'auli then lashed out at the Ministry of Police for "failing" to look into the claims made by Samuelu, saying, "We have seen and heard a lot of different stories and different witnesses so why not give them a chance and Police should have looked into these claims thoroughly. 

"Instead, they already made the conclusion that these claims are unfounded and untrue. Why not give these witnesses a chance; bring them in and investigate the claims made? Whether or not the statements are true, is for the court to decide. That is the responsibility of the court."

Lealailepule confirmed with this newspaper over a week ago that he had already engaged a New Zealand law firm to handle his defamation lawsuit against an NZ-based media outlet and a Samoan NZ-based broadcaster.

He also added that he engaged local lawyers to sue a man who claims to be an "eye witness" to the outstanding hit-and-run case that happened in 2021 as well as a Cabinet Minister. 

"I am taking this issue very seriously and I will push through with this lawsuit," Lealailepule said. "My reputation and my family's have been greatly affected by the many statements made publicly without any evidence to prove whatever claims they have made. 

"These people have no respect or decency at all and the only way to deal with this is to take it to court."

Lealailepule was referring to claims made by a man named Samuelu Leau who alleged that he was a witness to a hit-and-run incident that claimed the life of Tu'uau Fa'asavalu in April of 2021. 

"I have also lodged an official complaint against the Police on the allegations made against me and my family and I will not stop. 

"I am very serious about my lawsuit. That is why I have engaged a law firm called Grant and Co. located at Level 35 Vero Centre, Shortland Street in Auckland New Zealand. 

"I have made contacts with them and they are onboard and will be handling my case against the BluWave TV and one of the broadcasters for Radio Samoa. Police have also been notified about my lawsuit and they will be waiting for them once they arrive in the country."

Lealailepule said he wants to clear his name and that of his name and added that this is not the first time that his name has been tarnished. 

"As you may have been aware, this is not the first time my name was involved with this case and even after the police commissioner had cleared my name the first time, they are still trying to blame me, without any evidence. 

"So it's time to put a stop to this before it gets out of control."

The Police Commissioner – in response to queries from this newspaper last week – confirmed that the statements made by Samuelu publicly on social about what claims he witnessed on the night the incident happened were unfounded.