27 May 2019, Apia Samoa. Malele Paulo also known as King Faipopo was granted bail by District Court Judge Alalatoa Rosella Viane Papalii earlier this morning after spending the weekend at Tafaigata.
Malele who was held in custody since Thursday last week, appearead before Judge Alalatoa on new charges of making false statements that affects the reputation of a person.
His lawyer Unasa Iuni Sapolu entered a not guilty plea on behalf of her client.
The new charges come following a Facebook post of a video entitled “this is a good day to die” where Malele Paulo is seen driving and making statements towards Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi.
A social media facebook post published by the accused on the 20th of May shows a video of himself saying that he was ready to die for the country and God, challenging his ‘haters’ to get their guns ready.
King Faipopo accuses the Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi and the HRPP party of being a “mafia gang” while calling the Prime Minister Tuilaepa “evil” and and a “piece of garbage”.
In the post which is still up on social media, King Faipopo says that Tuilaepa has been making deals with the devil for the past 30 years.
“Let me speak to Tuilaepa and hia gang and his mafia in Samoa;
“Samoa, o lea e taitaia le tatou atunuu e le tagata mafia, its a mafia; So for your own Tuilaepa Sailele, your gang, your mafia, your relative;
King Faipopo claimed that an elderly of his village of Salelologa wants the Prime Minister removed.
“Ae fai mai le toeaina matua o le matou alalafaga, afioaga i Salelologa, ‘Tuilaepa, alu ese mai le nofoa'”.
King Faipopo added that these are the words of tamā matua Matamua Eti of Salelologa.
“I like it. I really like it. See the man with no fear. I’m telling you, come forward and kill. Get your gun ready. I’m on the way to Mulinuu, be there, be quick because I move very quickly,”
Malele Paulo goes on to say in this latest video that he made an agreement with God to bring out the truth and challenges the Prime Minister to come out of the dark and into the light.
“I am God’s dog barking on your ears to hurt your ears;
Don’t threaten me, who are you to threaten me, only piece of garbage I know you scared of death;
“Share this video please people. Pass the message to Tuilaepa and his followers and his families and his mafia gang HRPP.”
In Court yesterday, prosecutor Lupematasila told the Court that there is a high risk Malele Paulo would reoffend if let out on bail.
“Your honor, it is your discretion on the application, however it is of high risk that if the defendant is granted bail he will reoffend by continuing to act out on similar charges before the Court,” she said.
She also asked for time to finalise charges against the defendant.”
However, Unasa argued that her client has no previous convictions and not only that he has not been found guilty of any allegations against him and therefore to reoffend is not an appropriate term to be used.
Judge Alalatoa then granted bail for Malele but forbid him from making any more posts on social media, and using any electronic devices.
“The moment you step out of this Court room, you are not allowed to use any electronic device to post any more statement and or any post
on the social media,” Judge Alaltoa told Malele.
“That is the most crucial condition of your bail.”
“You have to comply with this, that you are not to be charged with any more offence while your matter is pending.”
She also ordered Malele to sign at the Apia Police Station every Friday.
Judge Alalatoa has adjourned the matter to Friday this week where it is expected prosecution would finalise the new charges, and the ruling on the jurisdiction application by defense counsel would be delivered.
Unasa had filed an application arguing that there is no jurisdiction of the Court in Samoa because her client had published the original Facebook posts while he was in Australia.
