Tuatagaloa Aumua Ming Leung Wai (born 1973)[1] is a Samoan lawyer. He served as Attorney-General of Samoa from 2006 to 2016.
Ming Leung Wai | |
|---|---|
| Attorney General of Samoa | |
| In office 4 December 2006 – 4 March 2016 | |
| Prime Minister | Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi |
| Preceded by | Brenda Heather-Latu |
| Succeeded by | Lemalu Herman Retzlaff |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1973 (age 50–51) |
He was educated at Marist St Joseph’s school in Samoa and the University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand, graduating with an LLB(Hons).[2] He worked as a lawyer in New Zealand and Samoa before being appointed Attorney-General in November 2006.[1]
As Attorney-General he represented the government in opposing a legal challenge against switching to driving on the left.[3] In July 2009 he helped establish the Pacific Prosecutors Association.[4] In 2009 he filed a complaint with the New Zealand Broadcasting Standards Authority over a 1 News story about guns and drugs in Samoa.[5] resulting in a finding that the story was inaccurate and unbalanced.[6] In 2010 he filed a second complaint against a Campbell Live show which had alleged donations for the 2009 Samoa earthquake and tsunami were unaccounted for.[7] The complaint was unsuccessful.[8] In 2010 he threatened to charge the Samoa Observer with defamation over a story on the approval of casinos in Samoa.[9]
In 2011 he defended Samoa's strict anti-party-hopping laws.[10] In 2012 he investigated corruption in the police and at Tafaigata prison.[11]
In March 2016 he was replaced by Lemalu Herman Retzlaff after he did not seek reappointment on the expiry of his contract.[12]
In 2016 and 2017 he represented Director of Public Prosecutions Mauga Precious Chang when she was suspended over dangerous driving charges.[13][14] In 2018 he represented President of the Land and Titles Court of Samoa Fepulea'i Attila Ropati who had been suspended over a charge of assault.[15][16]
References edit
- ^ a b "Samoa government finally gets a new Attorney General". RNZ. 11 November 2006. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ Deidre Tautua-Fanene (23 July 2017). "Marist Old Pupils Association vote in a new President". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ "Opponents of driving on the left in Samoa confident strike motion will fail". RNZ. 4 April 2008. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ "Regional prosecutors association launched in the Pacific". RNZ. 27 July 2009. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ "SAMOA TO SUE TVNZ OVER 'NEWS' STORY". Pacific Islands Report. 27 April 2009. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ "Attorney General of Samoa and Television New Zealand Ltd - 2009-066". Broadcasting Standards Authority. 2 March 2010. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ "Attorney General of Samoa and TVWorks Ltd - 2010-188". Broadcasting Standards Authority. 5 May 2011. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ "Samoa complaint against TV3 in NZ rejected". RNZ. 16 May 2011. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ "SAMOA OBSERVER BOWS TO HEAD OF STATE". Pacific Islands Report. 4 November 2010. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ "Samoa Attorney General says their party hopping laws have worked well". RNZ. 7 December 2011. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ "Samoa police corruption inquiry ongoing". RNZ. 27 September 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ "Samoa has new AG and prosecutor". RNZ. 7 March 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ "Samoa's suspended top prosecutor denies traffic charges". RNZ. 23 September 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ "Chang's lawyer to mount counter-appeal against conviction". RNZ. 19 June 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ "Former Samoa AG offended by request for an overseas judge". RNZ. 9 July 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ "Back and forth for suspended Samoa court president continues". RNZ. 26 November 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2021.