More Sāmoa MPs dismissed

In a bold move that has stirred up conversation across Sāmoa and the diaspora, Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mata’afa has officially dismissed three Cabinet Ministers.

Her decision follows the recent termination of the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, La'auli Leuatea Polataivao Schmidt, who is facing multiple criminal charges.

Fiamē announced the latest dismissals at a media conference in her office on Tuesday.

The three MPs include:

• Mulipola Anarosa Ale-Molio'o, Minister of Women, Community and Social Development;

• Toelupe Poumulinuku Onesemo, Minister of Communication and Information Technology; and,

• Leota Laki Sio, Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Labour.

Defending her decision, Fiamē emphasised the importance of accountability and effective leadership in her government.

She said she needed a competent Cabinet, emphasising, "The question put to the three now terminated - 'do you have faith in me?' When it comes to confidence, I need to know that."

Sāmoa's Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mata'afa has dismissed three Cabinet Ministers. Photo/Facebook/Sāmoa govt

The shakeup is sure to have significant implications for Sāmoa's political landscape.

In her statement, the Prime Minister explained that she decided to terminate La'auli after discussing his options, as outlined in Article 33(3) of the Constitution.

"These options included resigning voluntarily or facing termination of his appointment," Fiamē said.

"As Prime Minister, I had hoped that the former Minister would choose to resign, as this is a common and respectable course of action for public officials facing allegations or charges.

"After all, Hon. La’auli had previously resigned from his position as Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries on August 23, 2017, following similar charges.

La'auli Leuatea Polataivao Schmidt was dismissed from Cabinet last week. Photo/Samoa Observer

"However, when I presented the option of resignation to him, he declined. Consequently, I issued a revocation of his appointment on January 10, 2025.

"Since then, misinformation has spread uncontrollably on social media, falsely alleging that Hon. La’auli was charged in connection with the death of Mr Tu’uau Maletino.

"I want to strongly emphasise that this is not true. The investigation into Mr Tu’uau Maletino’s death remains open, and the police are continuing their inquiries."

The Prime Minister said the charges against La’auli and five others include:

• Conspiracy to obstruct or pervert the course of justice (three counts)

• Conspiracy to commit an offence (fabrication of evidence);

• Harassment using electronic communication;

• False statements causing harm to a person’s reputation (three counts);

• Using insulting words with the intent to provoke a breach of the peace (two counts). The legal process to address these charges in court is the only appropriate way to examine and determine the course of justice. It is also critical to uphold the principle of presumption of innocence; a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Fiamē is expected to publicly announce the positions and the new Cabinet lineup that will fill the vacant posts on Wednesday.

Local media have suggested that members of the FAST Party have called for her removal as prime minister.

Watch Sāmoa's Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mata'afa's media conference.