Samoa Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa has appeared before the Privileges and Ethics Committee of Parliament to explain an agreement she signed with Opposition Leader Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, to discontinue a contempt of court case in the Supreme Court.
She told the Samoa Observer newspaper that an undertaking she signed for a Court proceeding should not be misconstrued to be intended for business of the House.
Fiame said, she disputed the contention by the Opposition Leader and head of the Human Rights Protection Party that the “Harmony Agreement” also settles other differences between the two parties outside of the Court.
She explained the legal document she signed was a “deed of settlement” and was specifically intended to discontinue the contempt of Court matter.
While the Court put a lot of weight on the Harmony Agreement in making its decision, it did not allow the matter to be dismissed.
Instead, it found Tuilaepa and Party Secretary Lealailepule Rimoni Aiafi guilty of contempt of Court; but decided in the spirit of the Harmony Agreement, not to impose any penalties on them.
An HRPP supporter and senior lawyer, Maiava Visekota Peteru, was also found guilty of contempt and faced zero penalty as well.
Tuilaepa and Lealailepule, have been accused in an official complaint by Deputy Prime Minister Tuala Iosefo Ponifasio of making statements that have brought Parliament into disrepute.
The pair are currently being investigated by the Parliamentary Privileges and Ethics Committee.
