Samoa's opposition plans to appeal the acquittal of its Prime Minister La'autialemalietoa Leuatea Polata'ivao Schmidt amid the country's high-profile conspiracy case.

The District Court of Samoa last month cleared Mr Schmidt of corruption charges which stemmed from an investigation into an unresolved fatal hit and run of a student.

Prime Minister Schmidt and five other persons appeared in the Apia court on March 27 to hear the verdict in a case which has gripped the public.

Senior District Court judge Talasa Atoa-Saaga had previously deferred her ruling four times before clearing Mr Schmidt of perverting the course of justice, fabricating evidence, harassment and making false statements.

Former MP and Associate Minister of Police, Fepuleai Faasavalu Sua, and former police officer, Lio Faataumalama Auava, were also cleared of charges.

However judge Atoa-Saaga found Sam Sua guilty of eight counts of defamation while Sivai Kepi was guilty of two counts of perverting the course of justice.

Mr Schmidt's political ally-turned-archrival, former long-time Prime Minister,Tuilaepa Sailele Mallielegaoi, told Pacific Waves his Human Rights Protection Party will appeal the decision.

"You see it's very important that we appeal the decision so as to ensure that there is no doubt whatsoever," Mr Mallielegaoi said.

"There are a lot of issues that we are not in agreement with, especially our lawyers."

However this action would not occur until the written judgement on the case was released, he added.

Samoa's sixth Prime Minister from 1998 until 2021 has declined to state what grounds the appeal would be based on.

"I cannot reveal that - if we appeal it means that we do not believe that the decision is right," he said.

During the trial, lawyers for the prosecution alleged a member of the Prime Minister's party was responsible for the fatal accident in 2021.

Mr Mallielegaoi believed the evidence behind the car accident has been deliberately clouded.

"That was the allegation but they do not have strong evidence; in other words, it was quite clear from a lot of evidence given that it was all planned," he said.

"It remains that we are still looking for the murderer."

The controversial Prime Minister, who launched the initial investigation into the hit and run incident, also told Samoan media five police officers from New Zealand will travel to Apia to reinvestigate the case.

However, Mr Mallielegaoi claimed the suggestion of an independent investigation separate from the Samoan crown is false.

"The Prime Minister and several colleagues are involved; so, to us, all of this is just impossible for us to believe that it would be done," he said.

Mr Mallielegaoi believed the outcome of the trial was "totally unexpected", saying the deliberations behind the case had still not been made public.

"We are still waiting for the written judgement - it's one of those judgements that surprised us all, especially all of the lawyers who were in the court," he said.

Mr Schmidt was initially charged in January 2025, while still serving as a Cabinet Minister under the then Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa, before claiming an internal party vote to take leadership of the Faatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party.

Ms Fiame had previously sacked Mr Schmidt, the FAST party chairman, who was also the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Snap elections were called in August last year after months of political instability that culminated in Ms Mata'afa's minority government failing to pass its 2025 budget.

He would go on to win the national election months later as Ms Mata'afa was forced to form a new political party to contest her former allies for the Prime Ministership.

The situation triggered one of the most significant political crises in Samoa across 65 years of independence.

Mr Schmidt is yet to comment of the trial's verdict.