The Speaker of Parliament Papali’i Lio Masipau denied allegations that he and the Minister for Justice and Courts Administration Matamua Vasati Pulufana were “detained” at the Auckland International Airport on 28 November 2024.

On 2 December 2024, the Samoa Observer highlighted the incident described as a security breach.

In a statement released on Monday, Papali’i described the report as “inaccurate and untrue” and said no such incident occurred. 

He criticised the newspaper for not seeking comment from him or the Minister before publishing the story, which he claimed undermined the integrity of their offices.

“The official response from the Office of the Speaker is simple and straightforward: these statements are inaccurate and untrue and nothing of any sort happened,” the Speaker’s statement read. 

He further alleged that the report was one-sided and suggested it failed to investigate the validity of the claims.

The article also used photos of the Speaker and the Minister, which Papali’i said were included without consent. 

He characterised the report as an “insult” to his office and called for accountability in journalism.

While the Speaker strongly denied allegations of being “detained,” details surrounding the airport incident, in which he, Matamua, and four other passengers allegedly bypassed security screening, remain unanswered.

Papali’i did not provide further context beyond his denials.

The Speaker said his intent in addressing the claims was to “strike the iron while it’s hot” to ensure clarity and transparency on the matter, adding that he remains committed to upholding the integrity of his office.

The Samoa Observer confirmed it attempted to contact the Speaker via phone calls and texts before publication but those efforts went unanswered.