Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa confirmed the appointment of Mauga Precious Chang as the interim Attorney General of Samoa on Monday afternoon. 

She steps in following the end of Su’a Hellene Wallwork’s tenure last week.

While announcing her appointment, Laaulialemalietoa said Mauga was chosen for the role because it was her legal advice that helped the party to become the government.

He said the position is one of trust, and the government needed someone who would help provide the right guidance and advice that could be trusted.

The Samoa Observer visited the Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi (TATTE) Building in Sogi, where the new interim AG, Mauga, was meeting.
The meeting, which began around 2 pm and lasted a couple of hours, included certain members of the Attorney General’s Office.

Mauga graduated with both a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Commerce from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand.

Mauga’s expected appointment comes at a sensitive time, with ongoing legal questions surrounding the postponement of the Safata No. 1 by-election. The Office of the Attorney General had previously advised the Office of the Electoral Commissioner on the legal limitations around delaying an election, an issue that has since drawn public scrutiny.

The Samoa Observer has also learned that there were recommendations for senior lawyer Deejay Fong to be elevated to the acting role.