Former Speaker of the Samoan Parliament La’aulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Schmidt has resigned as a Member of Parliament for Gagaifomauga No 3 electorate in Savaii.
The former Minister of Agriculture had been under attack all day after a Parliamentary Committee report found him guilty of misleading Parliament over allegations regarding the sourcing of a stand-by generator for the country’s prison.
The committee recommended that the member be suspended without privileges for 3 months.
Most members spoke on the committee report and accepted the findings of the committee but sought to amend the punishment from three months to a “strong censure” as moved by Deputy Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa.
As is tradition with Samoan oratory, when someone is brought up on whatever charges, strong and often barbed words are directed at the accused but in the end there is always an appeal for leniency.
But just as members’ speeches were coming to an end, all of whom had appealed for leniency towards him, La’aulialemalietoa rose and offered his resignation as a member of Parliament and despite urging from the Speaker for him to await the outcome of proceedings, he left the House.
Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi then told the House that he had been listening to members’ appeals for leniency and had decided to accept letting him off with a strong censure.
The motion for the censure was agreed to by members and Tuilaepa pointed out that any member wanting to resign from Parliament must do so in writing.
The Speaker then said that he will await a written resignation from the member.
Parliament has now recessed until August 18, 2020 for the next session.
Last Friday, Laaulialemalietoa was acquitted of more than 200 criminal charges stemming from a business deal gone wrong.
