A former President of the Journalist Association of Samoa, Apulu Laneselota Polu was convicted and fined $3,500 tala in the Supreme Court on Friday for using a forged document.
Last week, his lawyers had asked the Court for a discharge without conviction sentence but was denied by Justice Vui Clarence Nelson yesterday.
Samoa Observer reports that Apulu, the owner of Talamua Media Online, was one of five people charged with more than 100 charges stemming from a nonu juice business venture which had gone sour, causing legal wrangles between them and a former partner, an associate Minister Peseta Vaifou Tevaga.
Justice Vui acquitted co-defendants, including controversial former member of Parliament Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Schmidt of all of the charges except for Apulu who was found guilty of the one charge of using a forged document.
