Source: Asia Pacific Report
By Margot Staunton, RNZ Pacific senior journalist
Samoa police have launched an investigation into a bizarre international case involving two Samoan men who have appeared on Vietnamese television confessing to the murder of a Sydney gang leader in Ho Chi Minh City.
The Samoa Observer reported that Joseph Vaa, 27, admitted gunning down suspected “Coconut Cartel” ringleader Lorenzo Lemalu Tovia outside a restaurant on May 21. Vaa’s associate, Steve Tofa, 23, has confessed to being his accomplice in the shooting.
Tovia died at the scene while his associate Sauni Sam, 27, is in intensive care in hospital with serious injuries.
READ MORE: Other Samoan crime reports
A video posted by Vietnamese television channel VTV9 showed Vaa and Tofa wearing black hoods and handcuffs while being marched into a room by police to confess.
Original source: https://analysis1.mil-osi.com/2026/05/27/samoan-police-investigate-after-pair-admit-killing-coconut-cartel-ringleader-in-vietnam/