Alleged passports sale details surface

By Joyetter Feagaimaali’i-Luamanu 31 January 2018, 12:00AM

Four Samoan passports were allegedly sold between December 2016 and May 2017 by a former Immigration Officer.

He allegedly received $684.24, $980.71, $382.80 and $2,092 on four different occasions in relation to the transactions.

This is according to the charge sheet obtained by the Samoa Observer in the ongoing hearing of former Immigration Officer, David Nomereta Uaine, of Tuana’i.

Uaine, 26, has pleaded not guilty to 32 criminal charges against him. 

His plea was entered by his lawyer, Unasa Iuni Sapolu. 

The Court appearance comes after he was arrested last year following a lengthy Police investigation, over claims about Samoan passports being sold online, to far away places such as South Africa.

According to the information sheet, Uaine is charged with four counts of a plan to “sell or give a document namely Samoan passport” T440536; T440525; T434481 and T434407.  

There are four charges relating to inserting “the application for Samoan Passport” of one “Dave Afele Allen; Mark Filo Hamden; Franco Fitu Rudolf and Miriama Kaba Hugo “in a passport database namely the Boarder Management System.” 

Uaine also faces four charges of “false certification” on 2 and 8 December 2016 and 9 and 11 May 2017. 

Other criminal charges against the accused include four counts of “without lawful authority or reasonable issues a Samoa Travel Document namely Miriama Kaba Hugo on 8 December, 2016; Franco Fitu Rudolf on 16 May, 2017; Mark Filo Hamden on 16 May, 2017 and Dave Afele Allen on 6 December, 2016.” 

According to the information document, Uaine faces six charges of using a forged document and six charges of forgery “namely the application for Samoa Passport of Dave Afele Allen; Janet Saye Hugo; Mark Filo Hamden; Franco Fitu Rudolf; Miriam Kaba Hugo and Anotinette Lima Moafanua with the intent that it be used and acted upon as genuine, thereby committed the crime of forgery.” 

Uaine is also charged with four counts of corruptly obtaining a bribe of $684.24 on 19 June 2017; $980.71 on 8 May 2017; $382.80 on 26 May, 2017 and $2,092 on 18 May, 2017 “for himself in respect of an act namely, the processing of Application for Samoan Passport in his official capacity.”

Uaine appeared this week for his criminal mention before Chief Justice, his Honour Patu Tiava’asu’e Falefatu Sapolu. 

The Prosecutor was Fatumanavaupolu Ofisa Tagaloa, of the Attorney General’s Office.

By Joyetter Feagaimaali’i-Luamanu 31 January 2018, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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