The Prime Minister-elect and leader of the Fa’atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (F.A.S.T.) Fiame Naomi Mata’afa and three other elected members of the party appeared in the District Court on Tuesday afternoon. 

Fiame and La’auli Leuatea Schmidt, Leatinu’u Wayne Sooalo, Toeolesulusulu Cedric Schuster and Laumatiamanu Mathew Purcell are facing charges of bribery and treating. 

The F.A.S.T. leader and the four elected party members pleaded not guilty to a total of 22 charges of bribery and treating. The accused are facing separate charges. 

The allegations stemmed from the F.A.S.T. party roadshows that visited several constituencies in Upolu and Savai’i leading up to April’s General Election. 

Elikapo Peni of Tanugamanono is the informant who filed the allegations against the politicians. 

The matter is being privately prosecuted by three lawyers representing the Human Rights Protection Party in electoral petitions pending in the Supreme Court. 

Lawyers Aumua Ming Leung Wai, Leinafo Taimalelagi Strickland and Leiataualesa Jerry Brunt are the private prosecutors in the separate cases from the same informant. 

Fiame is facing two charges, four allegations are leveled at La’auli, Leatinuu is facing 14 other charges. 

Toeolesulusulu and Laumatiamanu are each facing one charge. 

All of the accused have entered not guilty to the charges against them through their lawyer, Muriel Lui. 

District Court Judge, Talasa Atoa Saaga presided over the matter. 

Fiame’s hearing is set down for 6^th September, La’auli on 8^th September, Leatinuu on the 27^th September, Toeolesuluulu on 4^th November and Laumatiamanu on 14^th October. 

Judge Saaga adjourned the cases until the hearing dates are scheduled. 

The F.A.S.T. party members were accused by the leader of the H.R.P.P. party as being rebellious for carrying out their roadshow outreach programmes in the community while the Parliament session was on. 

Separate from these matters, there are 28 electoral petitions and 28 counter petitions yet to be decided by the Supreme Court. 

Eleven of those petitions were filed by the H.R.P.P. against F.A.S.T. and in response F.A.S.T. has petitioned 10 elected M.Ps from its rival. 

In addition Tautua Samoa Party is taking two F.A.S.T. elected M.Ps to Court for alleged corrupt practices during election. 

There are also three petitions from H.R.P.P. against its own winning colleagues and two other petitions from Independent candidates.