Two individuals who were charged with plotting to assassinate the former Prime Minister of Samoa, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, have been sentenced to prison. Malele Paulo, who is also known as King Faipopo, has been sentenced to four years in jail, while his co-defendant Lemai Faioso Sione will serve four-and-a-half years behind bars.
Both men were found guilty by a group of assessors in March this year. The presiding Supreme Court Justice Vui Clarence Nelson issued an order to prevent the media from publishing details of the case, as another co-defendant, Talalelei Pauga, is currently awaiting extradition from Australia to Samoa to face trial.
A fourth co-defendant, Taualai Leiloa, had previously pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to murder in December 2020 and is presently serving a five-year prison sentence.
According to the court proceedings, these four individuals had planned to carry out the assassination of then Prime Minister Tuilaepa at Siusega Catholic Cathedral in August 2019. Justice Nelson observed that Paulo lacked good character, and the only mitigating factor taken into account for his sentence was his responsibility for caring for his father, which resulted in a two-month reduction in his prison term.
It’s worth noting that Paulo had been previously convicted by the District Court and imprisoned for seven weeks due to a case of criminal defamation in 2019, where he was sued for defaming Tuilaepa. Paulo had also requested a different lawyer just before his sentencing, but this request was denied.
Another defendant in the case, Talalelei Pauga, also known as Ninja, is currently in Australia and has yet to face trial on the same charge.