Accusing someone of being an accessory to murder is serious and deserves the full attention of the law.
Last year, Professor Caroline Gabbard, was brutally murdered and a colleague and notable author, Sia Figiel, had been charged and currently held at Tanumalala prison.
Last week during one of their roadshows, Fast leader La’auli Leuatea Schmidt made statements which implicated Fiame as an accessory to the murder of Ms Gabbard.
He was repeating the allegations made by Lise Marie Schmidt in a letter she wrote earlier in the year, alleging Fiame had ordered her to remove certain articles from different places, which implicated Figiel. The letter triggered a huge furore in the community and a Police investigation ensued.
That investigation did not prove any of the claims, according to Commissioner, Auapa’au Logoitino Filipo. Consequently, the Police laid charges against Ms Schmidt and will be heard in February of 2026.
La’auli also said that Fiame was withholding information to protect the person responsible for the death of university student Tu’uau Maletino in 2021.
Fiame announced in an interview with Samoa Ua Potopoto (SUP) News, that she’s gathering evidence and will sue La’auli, claiming that she was acting to defend the honour of the Office of the Prime Minister of Samoa.
“When they talk about death, that’s the ultimate crime,” Fiame said. “And when leaders and those who wish to lead this country make outrageous allegations like that, it has to be addressed.”
She added that the public discourse on this issue was hearsay. But since the Fast leader made those allegations publicly, she could no longer tolerate it, “Enough is enough.”
“We’ve seen some of the public’s vitriolic, disrespectful, rude, baseless, thoughtless and outrageous claims, and that could be excused, but we cannot allow the dignity of the Office of Prime Minister to be subjected to these grave and serious allegations .”
“I thought La’auli would have the sense to think first and be cautious, as both he and Lise had faced the Courts recently, accused of fabrication of evidence and trying to pervert the course of justice,” Fiame added. “And they are also awaiting more cases before the Courts regarding these issues.”
Fiame also highlighted the fact that La’auli and his supporters liked mouthng off in public but when they were handed the golden chance to speak their truth in court, they went deaf, dumb and mute. “GUGŪ”…silent, quiet, tongueless, clueless, gutless and hopeless. “And they blamed their lawyers for telling them not to testify. So where’s the so-called justice they keep harping about when they had the best opportunity to tell the world but cowered when it mattered?”
“They’ve exploited their supporters by raising funds under the guise of seeking out justice for Tu’uau and now for these fresh allegations about my involvement in the death of Professor Gabbard.”
Fiame said this was a blatant smear campaign by La’auli, when the country only needed to hear what they can offer to improve the country. “How do we fare to our international partners? How does our reputation look when MPs are accusing other MPs of murder?”
“Maybe La’auli doesn’t understand the magnitude of his words, but I cannot allow that disrespect towards the Office of the Prime Minister to continue.”
La’auli had also made derogatory statements about Opposition Leader and former Prime Minister of Samoa for 23 years, Susuga Tuila’epa Dr Sailele Malielegaoi, about who his parents were. “Who is this man? Who was his father? Who was his mother?”
Those were low blows and utter disrespect for someone who’d served the country as a public servant, MP for 40+ years and Prime Minister for 23 years. That’s a record La’auli will never ever attain, ’cause he simply doesn’t have the education, diplomacy, tactic, strategy, experience and brain power to lead a country and manage an economy.
Our nation awaits the move by Fiame to diffuse the constant misinformation, disinformation and false accusations peddled by La’auli and his cultish supporters who refuse to accept the truth.
