The President of the Journalist Association of Samoa, Lagi Keresoma, also known as Taliilagi Keresoma, appeared in the District Court on Tuesday morning to answer to defamation charges.

The veteran journalist was charged under Samoa's criminal defamation law, and the charge stems from an article she published alleging that a former police officer sought the Head of State's intervention to drop charges against him.

Keresoma was charged on 18 May, following the publication of the article on 1 May. 

Representing Keresoma was counsel Precious Chang. asked the court for a two-week adjournment for the prosecution to serve the charges against her client.

Presiding over this matter was Judge Leota Raymond Schuster. He accepted the request from the defence and told Keresoma to surrender her travel documents to the registrar.

Other than that, she doesn't have to sign at a police station.

Recently, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has condemned the arrest and called for a repeal of the law, citing concerns that it stifles independent journalism.