Tuilaepa Lines Up Early Morning Police Visit

2026-01-25 - 21:09

COURT BOUND : Opposition HRPP leader Tuilaepa with Cabinet Minister of Education, Aiono Alec Ekeroma (inset). By Staff Writer The HRPP Leader, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, is on a date with the Police early tomorrow morning, Wednesday 21 January 2025. Tuilaepa is being charged with defamation under Section 117A of the Crimes Ordinance. Section 117A of the Crimes Act 2013 in Samoa relates to criminal libel (defamatory libel), which allows for criminal charges rather than just civil defamation proceedings. Police surprised the Opposition leader this morning when they served him with the criminal charges at party headquarters Petesa in Sogi. Lawyers for the former PM are yet to be fully briefed on the basis of the charges. What is clear though are the charges relate to complaints by the Minister of Education and Culture, Aiono Prof Alec Ekeroma, filed last November 2025. The charges are related to public comments allegedly made by Tuilaepa against the Cabinet Minister while serving as the Ministry Of Health CEO at the time.