A former parliamentary speaker in Samoa , Leota Ituau Ale, has been fined after being found guilty of two counts of contempt of court.
District court judge, Te'o Richard Fa'ai'uaso, refused to accept a defense lawyer submission to discharge without a conviction.
In a ruling, he said the 68 year old defendant had disobeyed a decision of the Lands and Titles court delivered last December.
Leota and several residents of Solosolo village had established a new sub village however the Lands and Titles court had ordered the new sub village to be dissolved and abolished.
The former speaker was jailed more than two decades ago for perjury but for his latest charges he was treated as a first offender.
He has been ordered to pay a fine of 350 US dollars within a week or face three months in jail.