Supreme Court Dismisses Charges Against Former Police Officer, Filed by Suspended Inspector Nanai Vani Vai

2026-02-09 - 03:08

Chief Justice His Honor Satiu Simativa Perese has dismissed two counts of forgery against former police officer Visesio Peni Sitanisilao, falsely accused of forging Nanai Vani Vai’s signature in relation to a loan sought from the Samoa National Provident Fund in early July 2022. The matter stemmed from a complaint filed by now suspended Police Inspector Nanai Vani Vai; who claimed he did not agree to guarantee his work colleague and friend’s home loan from SNPF. Nanai is currently suspended from the Samoa Police force pending an investigation into leaked information during police drug raid operations. Nanai claimed he had not signed a consent letter and deed of guarantee to support his police colleague’s SNPF home loan. The whole basis of the Prosecution’s case was Nanai’s testimony that he did not sign the guarantee documents. However in his decision; the Chief Justice stated there were many inconsistencies in Nanai’s testimonies.. Mr. Vai claimed he first discovered Mr. Sitanisilao’s loan had been approved, when he saw it on his SNPF portal on 11 January 2024. However, Chief Justice Satiu said the complainants testimony was inconsistent and contradicted other evidence he had given – that Mr. Sitanisilao had told him in June 2022, almost two years earlier, that the loan had been approved. “I am satisfied the Prosecution has failed to prove its case,” stated His Honour Satiu Simativa Perese. “There is no evidence, direct or circumstantial that Mr. Sitanisilao forged Mr. Vai’s signature on either the Consent to Guarantee letter or the Deed of Guarantee.. “In the end, Mr Vai’s claims are mere and unsupported assertions.” “His denials in his evidence in chief were inconsistent with and contradicted by his email dated 29 June 2022. As to giving a guarantee, Mr. Vai knew about his role as a guarantor – he says so in his email to SNPF: “...o loo ou iloa ma malamalama ile tulaga ile avea lea o au ma se tasi o guarantor...”. Further, he knew that as a guarantor he was required to sign a Deed of Guarantee, which in his email to SNPF he said: “...e toe taliu atu....ile aso 28 o Iuni 2022 ma ou agai atu ai e saini as a guarantor...” The Court also highlighted that the defendant and his wife had both acted as guarantors for Nanai Vani Vai’s past loan at the Samoa Commercial Bank. “I find that at all material times, Mr. Vai intended to give a guarantee to support Mr. Sitanisilao and Ms. Solipo to get a loan, as they had done for him in the past.” Chief Justice Perese in his ruling stated that he was satisfied with the defendant’s ruling.. Samoa’s leading provider of ICT Solutions. “Mr Sitanisilao was not required to give evidence as he has the constitutional protection of being innocent until proved guilty. Yet he took the witness box and exposed himself to crossexamination.” ‘Mr Sitanisilao gave a good account of himself in his evidence about the circumstances around the signing of the Deed of Guarantee, particularly when answering questions from the Court.” “I am satisfied that Mr. Vai signed the Deed of Guarantee in the way Mr Sitanisilao explained.” The two charges against the defendant were dismissed. The internal Police investigation into Nanai Vani Vai’s involvement in leaking information about a warrant of arrest to a suspected drug dealer continues, with results pending. The Decision