Overseas police not aiding in probe

By Marieta Heidi Ilalio 17 March 2025, 2:00PM

No overseas police officers are aiding Samoa Police in any investigation said Police Commissioner Auapaau Logoitino Filipo.

He said he wanted to set the record straight about reports suggesting that New Zealand Police were in the country investigating the case of Tuuau Faasavalu, a teenager who died in an alleged hit-and-run in 2021.

The teenager’s unsolved case has become the premise of many other cases leading to charges against police officers and politicians.

"I would like to make this clear, those misleading information are untrue and I've never made such claims," Auapaau said.

"Why would NZ police get involved in investigating this matter when we have our own investigating officers who are continuing the investigations?

“The New Zealand police has more unresolved hit and run cases than Samoa."

Faasavalu was found dead on the side of a road in Vaitele near the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in April 2021.

His death has fuelled controversy in Samoa where a member of parliament was accused of his death.

This led to the police charging people who were allegedly behind spreading misleading information on social media.

The cases also include the leader and chairman of the Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) La’auli Leuatea Schmidt who is alleged to have been charged with spreading misinformation regarding the case and allegedly adding Samuela Sua, a man claiming to be an eyewitness to case to allegedly do the same.

By Marieta Heidi Ilalio 17 March 2025, 2:00PM
Samoa Observer

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