A man who did not deny being responsible for the attack on Samoa Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi while he was speaking at a Samoa Airways event in Brisbane earlier this month has been charged.
Tala Pauga was charged with public nuisance by the Australian Police on Monday and will appear in Court on the 10th of December.
This was confirmed by ET Live during an interview with the General Secretary of Samoa Potopoto in Brisbane, Leautuliilagi Leapai Vaa II.
The 41 year old is accused of interrupting a meeting at the St. Maximillian Kolbe Catholic Parish in Marsden where he uttered abusive words and allegedly threw a pigs head and food towards people seated, before running away.
Last week Mr. Pauga told Samoa Global News that he was “walking freely and living the dream in his democratic country of citizenship, Australia”.
Asked by ET Live on live podcast if he was sorry for what he had done, Pauga responded, “No, no way. What for? I did this for my people. People should be congratulating me instead of criticising me.”
Pauga referred to himself as a ‘ninja’ and had assured Samoa Global News that the police were not involved, accusing ‘Samoa media’ of reporting lies.
“No police were ever involved, Australia is a great democratic country and are not stupid.”
“The ninjas will tell their side to the correct Australian and New Zealand media very soon because Samoa media is very biased and are controlled by their Prime Minister.”
“Their stories on TV etc are far from the truth,” he said at the time.
“No one was arrested in the ninja’s country of citizenship, Australia.”
Tuilaepa told the Samoa media that he has not phased because what the suspects had done was not new to him.
“I’m used to this kind of behaviour and it is nothing new,” said Tuilaepa at the time.
“From where I was standing at the time of my speech I just saw two people standing outside of the door making noises and then I could see people getting up from their seats and that’s why I told the gathering to stay clam (ia to’a pea le tai).
“I only saw the two people chucking papers on the floor but I was far away from where these two were and where they threw the paper and supposedly a pig’s head,” he said.
“The papers probably had some swear words written all over it but I didn’t see it.
“But I’m used to these kinds of people and their attitude and that is why I am not bothered by it.”
A media release issued by the Press Secretariat said that the Prime Minister has forgiven the suspects but he will not forget them.
