Samoan authorities arrested Nicolas Giannos at Faleolo airport on May 26th as he attempted to transfer over $100,000 out of the country, funds allegedly obtained from local victims of the uFun Club scam. Giannos had been promoting the scheme on Facebook throughout May.
Following a police investigation, Giannos and two other uFun Club investors now face charges for promoting an illegal pyramid scheme. Additional cyber-crime charges have also been filed, according to Attorney General’s Prosecutor Rexona Titi. She stated more charges are likely and that additional local investors are coming forward to file complaints against the trio.
Giannos has been granted bail. A recent hearing saw Chief Justice Patū Tiava’asu’e Falefatu Sapolu order the prosecution to provide all necessary documents to the defense and for police to finalize their charges. Rosita Stanfield and a 74-year-old pastor are the other individuals facing charges alongside Giannos.
All three defendants have applied for name suppression, a provision available under Samoan law. Their defense lawyer, Leota Ray Schuster, filed the application. Prosecutor Titi opposes the application, arguing that the principle of open justice outweighs the defendants' interest in remaining anonymous.
Chief Justice Patū acknowledged the importance of open justice, particularly in matters of public interest. He noted that the defense had not provided sufficient information to warrant continuing an interim order for suppression. A decision on the name suppression application is expected next Monday. That ruling will also likely clarify the formal charges against Giannos, Stanfield, and the pastor.