Ming Leung Wai

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 MinisterTuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi
Preceded byBrenda Heather-Latu
Succeeded byLemalu Herman Retzlaff
Personal details
Born1973 (age 49–50)

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
  1. "Samoa government finally gets a new Attorney General". RNZ. 11 November 2006. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  2. Deidre Tautua-Fanene (23 July 2017). "Marist Old Pupils Association vote in a new President". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  3. "Opponents of driving on the left in Samoa confident strike motion will fail". RNZ. 4 April 2008. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  4. "Regional prosecutors association launched in the Pacific". RNZ. 27 July 2009. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  5. "SAMOA TO SUE TVNZ OVER 'NEWS' STORY". Pacific Islands Report. 27 April 2009. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  6. "Attorney General of Samoa and Television New Zealand Ltd - 2009-066". Broadcasting Standards Authority. 2 March 2010. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  7. "Attorney General of Samoa and TVWorks Ltd - 2010-188". Broadcasting Standards Authority. 5 May 2011. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  8. "Samoa complaint against TV3 in NZ rejected". RNZ. 16 May 2011. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  9. "SAMOA OBSERVER BOWS TO HEAD OF STATE". Pacific Islands Report. 4 November 2010. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  10. "Samoa Attorney General says their party hopping laws have worked well". RNZ. 7 December 2011. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  11. "Samoa police corruption inquiry ongoing". RNZ. 27 September 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  12. "Samoa has new AG and prosecutor". RNZ. 7 March 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  13. "Samoa's suspended top prosecutor denies traffic charges". RNZ. 23 September 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  14. "Chang's lawyer to mount counter-appeal against conviction". RNZ. 19 June 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  15. "Former Samoa AG offended by request for an overseas judge". RNZ. 9 July 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  16. "Back and forth for suspended Samoa court president continues". RNZ. 26 November 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
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