Apia, SAMOA —  The Supreme Court has granted bail to the fourth defendant in a high-profile case alleging conspiracy to murder a former prime minister of Samoa.

Supreme Court Justice, Niava Mata Tuatagaloa delivered the decision on Thursday at the conclusion of a closed-door bail hearing. 

Talalelei Pauga of Brisbane and Manono is facing a joint charge of conspiracy to murder the former prime minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi in 2019. He entered a not-guilty plea to the charge. 

He was represented by lawyer Tufuga Fagaloa Tufuga with counsel Elizabeth Tiitii-Lam of the Attorney General's Office acting for prosecution. 

Pauga has been in custody since being extradited to Samoa from Australia on 1 September 2023. He had been under the custody of the Australian authorities since August 2020 while the Attorney General's Office kick-started the process to get him extradited.

Read more at The Observer