Twenty eight sentenced

Western Samoa

Twenty eight sentenced on kill charge

A Western Samoan court has sentenced 28 people for their part in the execution-style killing of a chief. Nuutai Mafulu was shot betwen the eyes in front of his wife and children in September, allegedly on the orders of the council of chiefs in Lona village.

The village also destroyed his house, crops, animals, bus and

jeep.

Nuutai was supposed to have offended the village council by refusing to pay village fines, by refusing to allow a curfew bell to be rung from a tree near his house and by helping a neighbouring village win a cricket competition.

Most of the village council, including chiefs aged in their 70s face murder charges. Before magistrate Bill Billion in court in Apia, a group of 12 ranging in age from 36 to 65, were sentenced to twenty months jail 18 months of it suspended on the condidtions that they each pay Muutai’s family USS2O9 dollars and carry out 100 hours of community service.

Five men in a second group were sentenced to 10 months in prison, nine months of it suspended provided they pay USS 42 each and perform 75 hours of community service.

Billion said he based the sentences on the age of the defendants, an indication of their level of responsibility in the decision to burn and stone Nuutai’s property and the extent of the

participation.

The remaining 11 offenders, most of the youngest, got two years probation on conditions they do 350 hours of community service and surrender travel documents.

All had pleaded guilty.