The District Court has given a man a 12-month suspended sentence and slapped him with a $500 tala fine for making a false statement.

Liua Savai’inaea was charged by the Police in October last year for making a false statement in relation to an incident – which involved the purported rescue of two girls – who were on the verge of being kidnapped by people in a van.

Savai’inaea pleaded guilty to two counts of willfully providing false information that misled police on two separate occasions in October and one count of publication of a false statement. 

The defendant claimed at the time to have saved the two girls from the attempted abduction.  

District Court Judge, Fepuleai Ameperosa Roma delivered the sentence early this week.  

Police at the time last year announced an investigation of allegations that a Toyota 15-seater van – with blue stripes at the bottom tinted windows and broken rear windshield window – was used in an attempted abduction at night. Later in the same week, Police issued a statement cautioning against making false and misleading information, which is shared and circulated on social media. 

They also warned members of the public to refrain from taking matters into their own hands, and that damage to properties –as a result of individuals taking matters into their own hands – is a criminal offence. 

Savai’inaea was later charged by police where he admitted to have made up the story of saving the girls from an attempted abduction.