Man charged

It happened at Fogapoa on Savaii on Thursday evening after a dispute over land escalated

Acting Police Commissioner Papalii Monalisa Keti said immediately after the shootings the accused man surrendered to police.

The dead man was in his 60s and his son was 18 years old.

The victim is believed to be a nine-year-old girl who went missing from the Blue Mountains near Sydney last Thursday, local media report.

The child's body was found by officers on Tuesday during a search of bushland in a neighbouring area.

Police said a 31-year-old man had been arrested in a flat in inner Sydney and charged with murder.

He was remanded in custody to face a court on Wednesday.

Media reports said the girl - who cannot be identified for legal reasons - was on holiday with her mother when she disappeared last Thursday.

Currently on bail, he has been charged with making a false declaration on a travel document.

The case is considered historical, presenting a low risk to the public.

Health Secretary Bob Williams says the man arrived in Auckland from Egypt on 5 May, where he tested positive for the virus in managed isolation.

He tested negative before being released from quarantine after which he flew to the Cooks, where he tested positive on 5 June.

All his close contacts have tested negative.

Police told the Samoa Observer the step-father had been charged and will appear in court next month.

The girl was reported to have left the family home last Wednesday and was found on Friday.

An unnamed police officer claimed there were bruises on her body.