Samoan General Election, 2006 - Aftermath

Aftermath

Following the election ten candidates filed election petitions alleging various irregularities. Three of these were subsequently withdrawn, and five went to trial, of which three were eventually upheld. Fa'asalele'aga No. 2 MP Pau Sefo Pau was deprived of his seat after being found guilty of four counts of bribery and one of treating. The petioner, Leanapapa Laki, was also convicted of ten counts of bribery. In Aleipata Itupa-I-Lalo, Paepae Kapeli Su'a was found guilty of two counts of bribery, while the petitioner was found guilty of three counts of bribery and three of treating. And in Fa'asalele'aga No. 4, Mulitalo Vui Siafausa was convicted of bribery after making a gift of fine mats to a village outside his constuency. The petioner, Samoa Party leader Su'a Rimoni Ah Chong was also convicted of bribery for giving someone money and a television set. All those convicted were deprived of their seats and barred from standing in the subsequent by-elections.

The parliamentary session was officially opened by the O le Ao o le Malo, Malietoa Tanumafili II, on 30 May 2006.