A witness told the Electoral Court that the $5,000 given by Lea’ana Ronnie Posini to a village was out of respect and not a bribe, as he gave evidence to the counter petition brought by Anapu Seve Te’i.

This is the second week of the legal battle between Lea’ana, the petitioner, and Anapu, the current member of parliament for Safata No. 1.

Lau Pepese Maiava, a resident and former “pulenuu” of Lotofagā, Safata, was the first witness to take the stand in response to Anapu Seve Te’i's counter petition against Lea’ana Ronnie Posini’s original petition. In his affidavit, Lau detailed a significant village meeting held on 13 June, during which Lea’ana, accompanied by his oratory chief, Auvele Sega, addressed the village.

According to Lau, the meeting began with customary greetings and formal expressions of respect, or “fa’aaloaloga,” between Lea’ana and the village. During the address, Lea’ana thanked the village for its support during his previous term as the district’s MP. In return, he presented the village with a donation of $5,000. Lau clarified that this gesture was made out of respect for the village and was not intended as a "faatosina" (bribe) to influence the election outcome.

“The village held a meeting to decide whether to nominate a candidate for the MP seat,” Lau explained in his affidavit. “However, no other nominations were put forward, and as a result, the village unanimously supported Lea’ana for the position.”

Lau’s testimony comes in response to Anapu's counter petition, which challenges the validity of certain actions leading up to Lea’ana’s candidacy. Specifically, Anapu contends that the $5,000 donation may have improperly influenced voters, potentially violating election laws.

The hearing is expected to continue throughout the week, with additional witnesses scheduled to testify.