Two New Zealand families have been in Samoa in a desperate bid to win back land that has been at the centre of a fraud investigation.
The Stowers family live in New Zealand, but the land they own in Samoa is a special link to their home country.
But the Stowers discovered by accident their mother's property was transferred into the name of Toluono Feti Toluono, when he was an MP.
Edwina Stowers said her family were shocked to learn the land had been sold without their knowledge.
"We both sat there like stunned mullets, and I said, 'Mum, did you sell the land?' She said 'no, I wouldn't even know how to."
Documents for the piece of freehold land, just over an acre in size, show it was taken out of Telesia Stowers' name in 2004.
However, she did not find out about it until three years later. The new deed was signed with a forgery of Telesia's signature.
Members of the Stowers family are not the only ones who have supposedly sold their land to the MP too.
Telesia's cousin Rosita Burke drove past her land while on holiday in Samoa and discovered someone had built a house on it.
"I was really shocked it happened to us in Samoa," said Burke.
The cases went to the Supreme Court, where Lisa Stowers, a relative of the two families, admitted she had had an affair with Toluono.
She claimed he had persuaded her to forge the signatures on the documents. She is now in jail for fraud.
"Lisa felt such guilt that she came to court on the day of the court case, knelt down in front of my mother, and begged for forgiveness," said Telesia's daughter Edwina.
Police charged the now former MP with 15 charges of forgery, falsifying documents and obtaining by false pretence, which he denied.
Toluono refused to be interviewed by ONE News, only saying he was innocent and would defend himself in court later this month.
The Stowers are anxious to get their land back, but it may not be easy.
Toluono took a mortgage out on the property with the Samoan Commercial Bank. With interest the debt is now up to around $330,000.
Ruth Thomsen from the Samoa Commercial Bank told ONE News it promises not to sell the land.
"We will discharge the deed of mortgage in due course, and that is subject to the current court procedings continuing at the moment," said Thomsen.
As for the land belonging to Rosita Burke, Toluono onsold it.
"It's caused me a lot of stress and also a lot of money unnecessarily," Burke said.
The stress has also taken its toll on 84-year-oled Telesia Stowers' health.
"A few weeks after we got back mum suffered a stroke... her mind was so fixated on this terrible thing," said Edwina.
Nonetheless, the family is still holding out hope the matter will be settled so they can pass the land on to future generations.
TVNZ
