The former director of the Samoa National Prosecution Office, Mauga Precious Chang, has been convicted in the Supreme Court of negligent driving causing injury.
Supreme Court Justice Mata Tuatagaloa upheld an appeal by the Attorney Generals office against a district court decision to acquit Chang last year.
The Sunday Samoan reported Justice Tuatagaloa’s said in her decision that, “The appeal on the charge of negligent driving using injury is upheld.
Justice Tuatagaloa went on to say that, “Pursuant to section 154 (b)(iii) of the Criminal Procedure Act 2016, the respondent is convicted of negligent driving causing injury”.
The Attorney General’s office in Apia retained New Zealand based attorney Satiu Simativa Perese to handle the appeal.
Another New Zealand based attorney, Aaron Perkins and former Samoa attorney general Aumua Ming Leung Wai, represented Ms Chang.
Perese argued that Judge Fepulea’i Ameperosa Roma’s decision to acquit the former NPO Director of traffic related charges was “plainly wrong”.
The attorney is reported to have told the court Roma’s decision “cannot be sustained on any basis whatsoever”.
Perese argued that the accident which involved the former director was because the “respondent was negligent in turning the Tucson in an unsafe manner in front of an oncoming bus which had the right of way”.
He also told the court that “the judge misunderstood the evidence and also erred in his understanding and treatment of the evidence and the inferences.”
The accident in question involved three vehicles in front of the Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Efi Buildging in Sogi.
A sentencing date for the former director will be decided in court this Wednesday.
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