Pagamalie Penani Lemuelu, and his wife had been accused of alleged theft of 5,000 US dollars of church money following a fundraising drive in Australia last year.

Pagamalie says he dropped the complaint after advice from other church ministers, relatives and friends.

In October 2013 Reverend Apisoloma Taeleipu, allegedly called Pagamalie, formerly a member of his congregation, a thief.

It was alleged Taeleipu also uttered a curse saying Pagamalie would die from the illness which he suffers from.

He was scheduled appear at the Fa'amasinoga Fesosoani Court (FF) in December but at the time his lawyer Tasi Malifa said the defendant was too ill to do so.

Fa'amasino Fesosoani or Assistant Judge, Fonoivasa Lolesio Ah Ching, then adjourned the matter to 26 February 2014.

Rev. Taeleipu is pastor of the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa at Aleisa East.

Pagamalie and wife Tusi were members of the congregation until this last year. Pagamalie was an Assistant Commissioner of Police up until he retired tin 2013.

Source

• TalamuaOnline
• Radio New Zealand International
• Image DMS-Lawyer.com

According to General Secretary, Reverend Dr Iutisone Salevao, the proposed bank will be funded from the church's To'omaga Fund, a fund which already exists to provide financial assistance to parishes.

"The fund is close to ten million tala at the moment and we are looking to allocate anywhere between two and five million tala to the proposed venture.

"The loans firm and the bank would be to help church members."

Savelvao says the church doesn't plan to extend these services to the general public.

The church's decision enter the finance sector follows the opening of its TV Station.

Source

• Savali
• Talanei
• Samoa Observer
• Image:Savali