By Lagi Keresoma/

Apia, Samoa – 11 August 2025: Members of the Seugamalo Uele Hurrell family have been allowed to leave Samoa as their sentencing date is deferred to May 2026.

Seugamalo and three members of his family were found guilty of several charges filed by former Cabinet Minister, Loau Keneti Sio in December 2024.

They were supposed to be sentenced last week, but the court deferred sentencing to May 2026 after a representative of the Probation Office failed to attend.

The family reside in Brisbane, Australia and were in Samoa in 2024 when they were involved in an incident at Loau’s residence Faleula and their workshop and properties were subsequently destroyed by a fire.

The family members involved requested the courts permission to leave jurisdiction but will return to face sentencing.

District Court Judge Leota Ray Schuster granted the application and ordered them to inform the Probation Office as soon as they return to Samoa.

The family is filing counter charges against Loau and some members of his family from the same incident Seugamalo’s family have been found guilty of.