The four accused, former youth worker and consultant Lupematasila Fa’amanu Ivara, Lupematasila Saipani, Misa Gaga’e, and Nanai Siaki, were described in court as the ring leaders in the burning down of a house belonging to a judge of the Lands and Titles Court. The arson occurred three years ago.
The four matais have been sentenced to two years and three months in jail.
The fifth and the youngest accused, an 18-year-old at the time of the incident, Filipo Fa’asavalu, is an untitled man.
He escaped a jail term but has been put on probation for two years and will have to complete 350 hours of community work.
In other news, the Supreme Court in Samoa heard legal submissions over a strike-out motion by the attorney general against a compensation claim by the leader of the Samoa Democratic United Party.
Asiata Saleimoa Va’ai is seeking compensation over his four- month suspension from parliament without pay in Nov. 2005.
The SDUP leader’s lawsuit is based on four causes of actions including breaches of his constitutional rights, and that parliament had no lawful authority to suspend him.
Attorney General Aumua Ming Leung Wai’s strike-out motion is based on various grounds.
Asiata and his lawyers sued the wrong party and they have no causes of action, the AG stated.
Aumua also argued that the claim by the SDUP leader is an abuse of the court’s process.
But Asiata’s lawyer said the claim is rightly against the previous speaker on behalf of parliament and there is no abuse of process.
The Australian judge presiding over the case, Murray Kellam, has reserved his decision on the matter.
