The Assistant Police Commissioner, Fauono Talalelei Tapu, has confirmed that a vehicle belonging to the Speaker of Parliament, La’auli Leuatea Polata’ivao, was involved in a hit and run incident at Vaigaga last week.
The incident led to the death of a Samoan man who is based in Australia. He died on Sunday.
According to Fauono, the Speaker was not in the vehicle when the incident happened.
“The driver is claiming that the man had swerved onto the main road causing the accident,” Fauono said.
He confirmed that the vehicle involved was a private vehicle belonging to the Speaker.
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The Assistant Commissioner also confirmed that the driver, a 37-year-old man, had turned himself into Police on Sunday over the incident.
He has since been charged negligent driving causing death.
As for the deceased man, Fauono said he died last Sunday after several days in hospital.
The incident occurred at Vaigaga on Wednesday night last week, shortly after the fireworks display in town.
The 48-year-old deceased man was walking towards a shop nearby when the incident happened.
A cousin of the deceased who did not want to be named identified him as Laulu Vincent. Laulu was apparently in Samoa from Australia to help with the construction of his family home at Vaigaga.
While in Samoa he was living at Vaitele. He left home that night to check out the lumber and other equipment and building material at Vaigaga said his cousin.
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