Faaolesa Katopau Ainu’u
Minister of Justice
In office
18 March 2016 – 24 May 2021
Prime MinisterTuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi
Preceded byFiame Naomi Mata'afa
Succeeded byMatamua Vasati Pulufana
Member of the Samoa Parliament
for Vaimauga Sisifo No.2
In office
4 March 2016 – 9 April 2021
Preceded byLefau Harry Schuster
Succeeded byLefau Harry Schuster
Personal details
Political partyHuman Rights Protection Party

Afioga Faaolesa Katopau Ainu’u is a Samoan politician and former Cabinet Minister. He is a member of the Human Rights Protection Party.

Ainu’u was educated at the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji, U.S. International University in San Diego, California, and the University of Hawaiʻi.[1] He practised law in both Samoa and American Samoa,[1] and was the owner of the Samoa Post newspaper.[2] In 2008 he was charged in American Samoa with embezzlement, fraud and theft after he allegedly charged a client $5,000 for legal services he did not provide. An arrest warrant was issued, but never served, and was finally quashed in 2016.[3][4]

He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Samoa at the 2016 Samoan general election[5] and appointed Minister of Justice.[2][6] As Minister of Justice he reinstated a previously-repealed criminal libel law.[7] In 2017 he was accused of attempting to influence the President of the Land and Titles Court of Samoa over a case he was involved in.[8] In 2018 he was accused of having files relating to his Ainu’u title illegally removed from the court and taken to his office.[9] Ainu’u denied the claim, but Prime Minister Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi claimed it was justified.[10] Ministry of Justice Chief Executive Papali'i John Taimalelagi was later suspended, then fired for unlawfully releasing the files to the Minister.[11] In December 2020 the law was amended to remove the Minister's control over court files.[12]

Ainu’u is a supporter of the Land and Titles Bill.[13]

Ainu’u lost his seat in the April 2021 Samoan general election.[14]

References

  1. 1 2 "Honourable Faaolesa Katopau Ainu'u". Government of Samoa. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Many New Faces in Samoa Cabinet". Talanei. 22 March 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  3. ↑ "Court called on to quash arrest warrant for Samoan minister". RNZ. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  4. ↑ "Case dismissed against Samoan justice minister". RNZ. 30 June 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  5. ↑ "HRPP 44, Tautua Samoa 2". Talanei. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  6. ↑ "Former Samoa deputy PM left out of cabinet". RNZ. 18 March 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  7. ↑ "Samoa parliament votes to bring back libel law". RNZ. 20 December 2017. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  8. ↑ "Tension in the halls of Justice". Samoa Observer. 4 November 2017. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  9. ↑ "Samoan minister denies court files were delivered to him". RNZ. 30 April 2018. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  10. ↑ "Samoa PM backs Minister's ability to move court files". RNZ. 20 May 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  11. ↑ Deidre Fanene (2 May 2019). "Cabinet Confirms Termination of the CEO for Ministry of Justice". Samoa Global News. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  12. ↑ Lanuola Tusani Tupufia - Ah Tong (15 January 2021). "Minister stripped of authority over moving court files". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  13. ↑ Lanuola Tusani Tupufia - Ah Tong (22 June 2020). "Justice Minister cautioned over L.T.C., Judges comments". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  14. ↑ Seia Lavilavi Soloi (13 April 2021). "Five Cabinet Minister lose seats after polls". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 29 May 2021.


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