A former immigration officer in Samoa, David Nomereta Uaine of Tuana’i village, has pleaded not guilty to 32 criminal charges relating to illegal sales of passports.
The 26 year-old, through his lawyer Unasa Iuni Sapolu, entered his plea earlier this week in the Supreme Court presided over by Chief Justice Tiava’asue Patu Falefatu Sapolu.
Uaine is alleged to have sold Samoan passports to people outside Samoa between December 2016 and May 2017.
The charges he faces include using false information to procure passports, false procurement, and corruptly obtaining bribes.
He was charged and dismissed from his job with the Immigration Division of the Prime Minister’s Office following an investigation late last year.
The probe was started after the Samoa Observer newspaper handed over information to the PMs office about someone claiming to have sent funds for a Samoa passport which they had not yet received.
The case continues this week.
