POE LEAPAI’S CASE CONTINUED IN HIGH COURT

Senior police officer Poe Leapa’i was in High Court last Friday for his pretrial conference, however the matter was postponed for another two weeks upon request by his attorney for additional time. Leapai is charged with three counts of stealing on allegations that while in uniform he allegedly placed dead cockroaches in the food he would buy from certain stores run by Asians, and then ask the store owners for money in return for not contacting the Department of Health.

Assistant Public Defender Mike White informed the court that there is additional information that he needs to look into and he asked for a continuance. The case was called before Chief Justice Michael Kruse who continued it until next month. White also informed the court that there are ongoing negotiations in this matter.

According to the government’s case, there were three stores in the police affidavit supporting the arrest warrant: Coco Mart and Happy Mart in Nu’uuli and Mandarin store in Malaeimi. It is alleged these store owners had been “victimized by Leapa’i, employing the same method to appropriate money,” according to court documents.

Leapa’i is out on bail of $5,000, which was reduced from his original bail of $10,000, on the condition that he remain a law abiding citizen, remain in contact with his attorney, appear at all court hearings and have no contact with the stores in question, directly or indirectly.

Samoa News first reported on this case in its issue dated July 16, 2014.

19-YEAR-OLD BOY CHARGED IN SEX CASE TO ENTER GUILTY PLEA

A 19-year-old boy charged with several criminal counts in connection with a sex case involving a 13-year-old girl who was left at home alone with her 11-year-old brother, has entered into a plea agreement.

Lokeni Tausilinu’u has been charged with first degree burglary, sodomy, deviate sexual abuse first degree, endangering the welfare of a child, underage consumption of alcoholic beverages; failure to have personal possession of alien registration card and private peace disturbance. Tausilinu’u is behind bars on a no bail status, due to his immigration status.

According to the High Court calendar of cases, the defendant is scheduled to enter a guilty plea before the court today.  However it’s unclear as to what the plea deal offer is.

According to the government’s case, police received a call from a man claiming that his daughter had been sexually assaulted at their home in Nu’uuli. The girl was accompanied by her mother to the police station to explain what happened.

Police then contacted Lokeni who agreed to make a statement to the police, whereby he admitted to drinking on October 10, 2014 and committing the offenses the girl alleged.

The case was first reported in Samoa News in its Oct. 17th issue.

ARONA AMITUANA’I TO FIGHT HIS SECOND CASE BEFORE JURY

A man who is facing two counts of second degree assault, third degree assault and private peace disturbance, public peace disturbance and resisting arrest, has asked the HIgh Court for a Jury Trial date. The incident involving Arona Amituana’i occurred when the police officers went to execute an arrest in connection with an assault case; it’s alleged that the defendant resisted the arrest.

Samoa News first reported on the case in its issue of July 2, 2014.