A matai from the village of Salelavalu is dead following an incident at Sapapali’i, Savai’i where three men were drinking on the village pool last Tuesday.Three boys from the village have been arrested, a Police officer in Savai’i told the Samoa Observer.“They’ve been taken to Tafa’igata prison now,” said the policeman, whose name is withheld because he is not authorised to speak to the media.“The three boys are young but they are suspects in the matter.” Two of them are still in school.An employee at the Malietoa Tanumafili Hospital at Tuasivi identified the deceased man as Suafua 2AP.“He was brought into the hospital on Tuesday night but he died on the following night,” he said. “He was unconscious when he was brought in and he never recovered.”Two other men who were with the deceased on Tuesday night were also admitted to the hospital. They have since been discharged.Meanwhile, awoman from Sapapali’i, who is a close relative of one of the suspects, defended the boys’ action.She said the boys warned the men from Salelavalu against disrupting the peace at night. She also told them that drinking alcohol at the village pool was not allowed.“Instead one of the men swore at a boy from our village and told him it was none of his business,” she said. “The men and the young people later got into a fight and that’s how it started.”The woman said Sapapali’i values its laws and curfews and villagers respect and abide by it.“We have our own taboo at night whether you are from the village or not it is prohibited to make loud noise and for men to drink on the pool.”She pointed out the village had also conducted a traditional apology – ifoga to the family of the deceased man.A matai of Salevalu who was contacted by the Samoa Observer yesterday confirmed the ifoga.“It was done last week and accepted by the family of Suafua,” he said.He declined to elaborate on the details.It was not possible to get a comment from the family of the deceased man.