A 13-year-old boy was charged with arson after a police investigation into the fishing vessel fire at Salelologa Wharf last month. 

Police Commissioner Auapaau Logoitino Filipo said the teenager was charged with arson under the Youth Offenders Act and will appear before the Youth Court on 5 February.

Auapaau added there was sufficient evidence to press charges against the teenager who has been released on bail pending his court appearance. 

From the eleven fishing purse seiners docked at the Salelologa wharf ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) three caught fire towards the end of November. 

The young suspect was allegedly seen going into the vessels twice just minutes before they caught fire.  

The vessels were owned by the Apia Deep Fishing Limited company. 

The abandoned vessels were berthed at the Matautu Wharf and were transferred to domestic ports at Satitoa Aleipata, Mulifanua and Salelologa for berthing in preparations for CHOGM in October.

The fishing vessels were seized and detained in favour of the Samoa Ports Authority (SPA) after the company abandoned it. 

SPA has invited expression of interest for the forced sale of the 12 sea vessels pending proceedings in the Supreme Court. 

The authority said the sale of the Vanuatu-flagged sea vessels is subject to a forced sale on Wednesday 8 January 2025 or so soon thereafter as the necessary arrangements may be settled and made binding.