Vietnam authorities denied a request by Samoa to conduct face-to-face interviews with two men charged with murder for the Ho Chi Minh shooting of Coconut Cartel gangster Lorenzo Lemalu.
Speaking during a media briefing, Acting Police Commissioner Leiataua Samuelu Afamasaga said the case is currently before the courts and remains under investigation by a multi-agency task force led by the police.
He said the task force includes representatives from Immigration, Customs, the Central Bank of Samoa and the Attorney General's Office, all of whom have been working alongside Police since the investigation began.
"The public and the media may not be aware that several government ministries have been involved from the beginning of the investigation," Leiataua said.
The task force has coordinated closely with the government and overseas partners to address both the criminal investigation and the welfare of Samoan citizens involved in the case.
