{{short description|Samoan politician}}
'''Leafa Vitale''' was a Minister of Works and Minister of Women's Affairs in Samoa, who along with Toi Aukuso, former Minister of Post and Telecommunications, plotted the assassination of Samoan Minister of Public Works Luagalau Levaula Kamu in 1999.<ref name=ind>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/ministers-hitman-taints-pacific-paradise-island-719274.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606101838/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/ministers-hitman-taints-pacific-paradise-island-719274.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 6, 2011|title=Ministers' hitman taints Pacific paradise island|work=The Independent|first=Kathy|last=Marks|date=April 14, 2000|accessdate=January 20, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Cohen |first=David |date=2000-02-08 |title=Samoa gripped by ministerial murder trial |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2000/feb/08/davidcohen |access-date=2025-03-07 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
Aside from the Minister of Works, the two former Ministers (who were still in Parliament at the time) had also planned to have the Prime Minister Tuilaʻepa Saʻilele Malielegaoi, the Chief Justice, New Zealand's High Commissioner to Samoa, and Minister of Lands and Environment Tuala Kerslake assassinated. Leafa, Toi and Leafa's son Eletise Leafa Vitale (who carried out the assassination) were sentenced to death<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pireport.org/articles/2000/04/13/court-finds-two-former-samoan-ministers-guilty-assassination |title=COURT FINDS TWO FORMER SAMOAN MINISTERS GUILTY OF ASSASSINATION |publisher=Pacific Islands Report |date=13 April 2000 |accessdate=28 January 2021 |archive-date=6 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210906094814/http://www.pireport.org/articles/2000/04/13/court-finds-two-former-samoan-ministers-guilty-assassination |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/two-former-samoan-ministers-sentenced-to-die-for-murdering-rival-279689.html |title=Two former Samoan ministers sentenced to die for murdering rival |publisher=Independent (UK) |date=15 August 2013 |accessdate=28 January 2021}}</ref> but had their sentences commuted to life sentences by the Head of State Malietoa Tanumafili II in 2000.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pireport.org/articles/2000/05/12/samoa%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99s-malietoa-commutes-death-sentence-ex-ministers-life-inprison-may-12 |title=SAMOA'S MALIETOA COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE OF EX-MINISTERS TO LIFE IN PRISON |publisher=Pacific Islands Report |date=12 May 2000 |accessdate=28 January 2021}}</ref> Vitale was paroled on the basis of ill-health in June 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.samoaobserver.ws/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=23911&Itemid=62 |title=Disgraced ex-minister gets parole |publisher=Samoa Observer |date=2010-06-30 |accessdate=2010-07-01}}</ref>
Leafa was Minister of Works under Tofilau but became Minister of Women's Affairs when Tuilaʻepa became prime minister.<ref name=ind/> He was among the members of Tofilau's cabinet who were named for corruption in the 1994 Report to the Samoan Parliament by then Controller and Chief Auditor Rimoni Ah Chong.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1999-08-09 |title=Samoa's deadly corruption drama unfolds |url=https://www.afr.com/world/samoas-deadly-corruption-drama-unfolds-19990809-k8xk8 |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=Australian Financial Review |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-03-07 |title=Downfall of Minister for Murder |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/downfall-of-minister-for-murder/DMMYZMGKXOB2BE37F7TMCPJLUE/ |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=The New Zealand Herald |language=en-NZ}}</ref>
Leafa Vitale was among the 35 criminals pardoned by Tui Ātua Tupua Tamasese Efi on June 1, 2012, during celebrations marking the country's 50th anniversary of independence.<ref>talamua.com</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vitale, Leafa}} Category:Members of the Legislative Assembly of Samoa Category:Samoan prisoners sentenced to death Category:Prisoners sentenced to death by Samoa Category:Living people Category:Government ministers of Samoa Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Women's ministers of Samoa Category:Politicians convicted of murder Category:Politicians convicted of crimes