The District Court has found Samuelu Sua guilty of misleading police, defamation and harassment by electronic means in the high-profile conspiracy case involving Prime Minister La'aulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt, who was cleared of all charges.

Sua, La'aulialemalietoa, Li'o Fa'ataumalama Auava, Fepuleai Faimata Su'a, Sivai Kepi and Lise Marie Schmidt were charged after Sua's arrest, and police found his claims to be an eyewitness to a hit-and-run death in 2021 to be false. Sua had claimed that opposition parliamentarian Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi was driving the vehicle that killed a teenager in Vaitele.

Sua and others' charges included conspiracy, defamation, fabrication of evidence, misleading the police, perverting the course of justice and harassment by electronic means.

Judge Talasa Atoa-Saaga delivered her decision on Friday afternoon in a packed courtroom. 

She found Su'a guilty of two charges of misleading police during their investigations, one charge of perverting the course of justice, eight charges of defamation and all charges of harassment by electronic means.

Su'a's wife, Sivai Kepi, was found guilty of one charge of misleading police investigation. The court dismissed 21 charges of fabricating evidence against her.

Lise-Marie Schmidt was also found guilty of one charge of perverting the course of justice and cleared of others.

La'aulialemalietoa, Li'o Fa'ataumalama Auava and Fepuleai Faimata Su'a were found not guilty of the charges against them.

Judge Atoa-Sa'aga, during her decision, said the prosecution had not proven beyond a reasonable doubt the charges of fabricating evidence against Samuelu and Sivai, and the conspiracy charges against PM La'aulialemalietoa, Li'o and Fepuleai.

She highlighted that the Ministry of Police is the only ministry where people go to lodge a complaint with the trust that they are safe.

Judge Atoa-Sa'aga said the police should have made sure that all materials and records that were needed for investigations, especially a mystery death, were provided. 

The 100-page decision was summarised by Judge Atoa-Sa'aga on Friday.