Samoa Police Denied Access To Interview Accused Hitmen In Person – Acting Commissioner

Margot
Staunton RNZ Pacific senior journalist

Samoa’s
acting police commissioner says Vietnamese authorities have
denied a request for the in-person interviewing of two Apia
men who could face execution for the murder of a suspected
Sydney gang boss.

Joseph Vaa and Steve Tofa are in
custody after they admitted their involvement in the
shooting of Lorenzo Lemalu Tovia outside a restaurant in Ho
Chi Minh City last month.

The two Samoan nationals
read televised confessions, handcuffed and restrained in
chairs, after Tovia died at the scene and his associate,
Sauni Sam, was seriously injured.

During a media
briefing on Monday, Samoa’s Acting Police Commissioner
Leiataua Samueleu Afamasaga said the police had sought
permission to visit the pair in Vietnam to conduct
interviews, as part of the investigation.

Despite
criminal proceedings being underway against the two in
Vietnam, authorities in Ho Chi Minh City had denied the
request, Leiataua said.

“The only option available to
us at this stage is to submit written questions,” he
said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had since
submitted a formal diplomatic request seeking access to the
pair to assess their welfare, and to obtain information
relevant to the investigation.

Leiataua said foreign
affairs officials initially requested assistance from
Vietnam to determine what support was needed for the
two.

Additional assistance was also sought from
Australian and New Zealand diplomatic offices based in
Vietnam, he said.

Meanwhile, Leiataua said the case is
being investigated in Samoa by a multi-agency task force,
led by the police.

The team includes representatives
from immigration, Customs, the Central Bank of Samoa and the
Attorney General’s office, all of whom have been working
alongside police since the investigation began.

“The
public and the media may not be aware that several
government ministries have been involved from the beginning
of the investigation,” Leiataua said.

He said the task
force was working closely with the government and overseas
partners to address both the criminal investigation and the
well-being of the accused.

“Authorities are working to
ensure that those responsible are held accountable once all
of the evidence has been gathered,” he said.

Three
people – including a New Zealand man previously detained at
the airport – have been charged with bribery and providing
false information to the police during the
investigation.

They were expected to appear in the
Apia District Court this week to face money laundering
charges.

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