Three suspects appeared in the District Court of Samoa, accused of being connected to the fatal shooting of Coconut Cartel leader, Lorenzo Lemalu, allegedly killed in Vietnam by two Samoan youth who publicly admitted to the crime.
In Samoa this week – James Atua, Nakitah Charles, and Fred Papalii are the three suspects here in Samoa allegedly connected to the Vietnam shooting.
Steve Tafia, 23, and Vaa Joseph Vaa, 27, have have been charged by Vietnamese police over the murder of the Australia-based Samoan and alleged Coconut Cartel leader, Lorenzo Lemalu last month.
James Atua, his girlfriend Nakitah Charles, and their young toddler were stopped and removed from an Air New Zealand flight while they tried to board at Faleolo International Airport last month.
Atua is facing two charges of corruption by way of bribery and one charge of misleading police, while Charles is facing one charge of corruption by way of bribery.
Fred Papalii has been charged with misleading police. Both Papalii and Atua have been remanded in custody, while Ms Nakitah Charles has been granted bail.
During court proceedings, the prosecution requested a two-week adjournment to finalise charges.
However, Meleisea Faimalomatumua Mathew Lemisio, counsel for Atua and Charles, argued that the prosecution did not require two weeks and could finalise the charges within one week.
District Court Judge Talasa Atoa Saaga granted the prosecution’s request but ordered that this would be the final adjournment.
Judge Atoa-Saaga also informed counsel for both parties that the court would hear bail applications for the defendants at the next appearance.
The matter has been adjourned until the 23rd of June 2026.
The suspects who appeared before the District Court are alleged to have links to the incident in which two youths reportedly travelled to Vietnam to kill the alleged leader of the Coconut Cartel while he was on holiday there.
Vietnamese police later released photographs and the names of Steve Tofa and Joseph Vaa on social media.
Following their arrest, the pair confessed that they had been instructed from overseas to travel to Vietnam and carry out the killing.
Nine individuals from Samoa are suspected of having connections to the matter.
The Central Bank of Samoa directed all commercial banks to freeze accounts held in the names of the suspected individuals as investigations continue.
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