Police say they failed to pay 350 thousand US dollars in compensation to a village family after a land dispute ended with damaged houses and burnt vehicles.
One of the family members, Afu Faumuina, says since the court ruling last year the defendants have not followed the deadlines for monthly payments.
One of the nine people arrested is a former cabinet minister, who was released for travel to New Zealand on the weekend for urgent medical reasons.
The offending family, of Faumuina Tutuila, remains banished from the village.
They too were awarded compensation for damage to their own property.
