A schizophrenic man who burnt the national flag was discharged in the District Court on Wednesday.

Fa’atuai Paepae, of Safata, pleaded not guilty to a charge of burning the flag in front of the government building in April 2012.

In Court, a medical report confirmed that Paepae suffers from schizophrenia. The condition is a mental disorder often characterized by abnormal social behavior and failure to recognize what is real.

According to the experts, common symptoms include false beliefs, unclear or confused thinking, auditory hallucinations, reduced social engagement and emotional expression, and inactivity.

District Court Judge, her Honour Mata Tuatagaloa presided over the matter.

On Wednesday, the Police asked the Court for the charge to be withdrawn because of the defendant’s state of mind.

Prosecuting was Richard Ah Ching also referred to the medical report, saying the man had refused to take his medication.

Judge Tuatagaloa accepted the application.

But she warned Paepae.

“Fa’atuai we will not proceed with the matter today as I have discussed with the police to have it withdrawn because you have a mental disorder,” she said.

“But the next time you are brought in, you won’t be given a second chance.”

On 12th April 2012, Paepae walked up to the flagpole in front of the government building. He pulled it down, lit it up and then raised it again.

The solar panels in Salelologa have the ability to generate clean and sustainable energy without toxic waste.

Solar power is produced by collecting sunlight through the large flat panels before being converted into electricity.

The Salelologa Solar Panel Station was blessed in April this year as the site for Samoa’s first grid connected solar project.

Solar energy technologies use the sun’s energy and light to provide heat, light, hot water and electricity.

The solar energy is more efficient and environmentally safer than burning fossil fuel.

“The solar is more environmentally efficient than the fuel because basically it uses the sun and nothing else,” said Project Supervisor, Ivan Joseph.

“There is no harm if there is nothing else that’s being used other than the sun, but diesel, the smoke from it can destroy the environment and cause the damages to the ozone layer resulting in climate change.”

Located on the Electric Power Corporation (E.P.C) grounds in Salelologa, the project was made possible thanks to Samoa becoming the first country to access the Pacific Environment Community (P.E.C) Fund since its inception in 2010.

The installation of Samoa’s 546kWp solar PV grid-connected system is expected to provide significant benefits to the government of Samoa by reducing the use of diesel by around 190,000 litres p.a and realizing costs savings of approximately $570,000 per annum in a country which generates 60per cent of its electricity from diesel.

The project expected to last more than 20 years is spread out over three sites in the country’s main islands, Upolu and Savai’i.

“Today, we are opening Samoa’s first solar system, without storage, that can be connected to the grid, to run in parallel with other energy sources like diesel generators,” Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi said during the official commissioning of the site.

“The original combined capacity of this project is 40kWp. But we are fortunate to increase it to 546kWp through good design and project management.”

Savai’i, the solar photovoltaic project is financed with US4 million grant from the Japanese Government under the auspices of the Pacific Environment Community (PEC) Fund through the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, producing a total capacity of 546kWp from three different locations at Salelologa with 150kWp, Tanugamanono with 150kWp and Vaitele producing 246kWp.

Samoan American football legend Junior Seau is among 15 first-year eligible modern-era candidates nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

A total of 99 players and 14 coaches comprise the 113 nominees. A modernera player or coach must be retired at least five consecutive seasons to be eligible.

The selection committee will choose 25 candidates as semifinalists in late November.

That list will be reduced to 15 modern-era finalists in early January. The 2015 class will be voted on the day before the Super Bowl.

One senior committee nominee, former Vikings center Mick Tingelhoff, also will be on the ballot.

Between four and eight new members will be selected.

Inductions will be in August at Canton, Ohio, site of the Hall of Fame.

Some other familiar names who have been nominated are running back Jerome Bettis, receivers Tim Brown and Marvin Harrison, guard Will Shields, defensive end/ linebackers Charles Haley and Kevin Greene, safety John Lynch, and placekicker Morten Andersen. All were finalists in 2014.

Coaches Tony Dungy, a finalist last January, Bill Cowher, Don Coryell and Mike Holmgren also are among the 2015 nominees.

The official said the Samoa meeting served to review specifi c issues of concern to the islands, some of which are in danger of disappearing from the world map because of the negative effects of climate change

The deputy Executive Director of the latest UN body to set up office in Samoa, U.N.E.P, has called for strengthened international alliances to protect the environment and help the most vulnerable countries to be prepared for natural disasters.

Ibrahim Thiaw made the call during a visit to Cuba. The senior official of the United Nations Environment Program (U.N.E.P) stressed the need to extend the exchange of information on weather phenomena and implement efficient mechanisms to mitigate the negative impact of those events.

The recent Third Conference on Small Island Developing States, held in Samoa, early September, reminded us that this is a challenge for the international community, said Thiaw in an interview with Prensa Latina.

“We live in one planet and we have to be conscious on the fact that it is our responsibility to the current generation, not the future generation. It is our responsibility to tackle these issues and to stop them,” he added.

The official said the Samoa meeting served to review specific issues of concern to the islands, some of which are in danger of disappearing from the world map because of the negative effects of climate change.

In that regard, he mentioned the treatment of waste, land degradation, desertification, access to potable water, sea level rise and tropical cyclones as some major problems facing those territories.

These are specific issues that require response and all possible support, but these small islands should also increase cooperation and implement their own strategies to address that problem, he said.

According to the official, the information received during his visit to the Staff of the Civil Defense, the Institute of Meteorology and Environmental Agency, in Havana, Cuba shows extensive experience in disaster preparedness, which could be shared with other states.

In this regard he suggested Cuba to join U.N.E.P LIVE, a platform designed to share information and gather data on disaster preparedness.

During his two-day visit the executive exchanged with experts in the fight against desertification, drought and visited sites of sustainable land management in the western province of Pinar del Río.

The weeklong Alo Paopao Regatta Festival closed with a bang last night.

First there was a prize giving and then the paddlers, supporters and sponsors enjoyed the evening with a concert held at Y-Not at Matautu.

The President of the Samoa Outrigger Canoe Association, Mamea Samuel Ieremia said this year’s Festival has been a week of fun and learning for everyone involved.

“I hope that you had an enjoyable week of paddling, a taste of the fa’asamoa, our culture and traditions and hospitality,” said Mamea.

“In that, you will have a great story to tell your friends and family back home about the wonderful experience you had here in Samoa.”

Earlier, Mamea acknowledged everyone involved.

“Keep a tight grip on that paddle and be the role model for all the other potential paddlers in Samoa and overseas.”
Here are some images from last night's closing.

The staff of the Samoa Land Corporation is scheduled to relocate to the Vaitele market tomorrow. The relocation will allow its $4.25million Faleata headquarters to be transformed into a hotel.

The Corporation on the other hand will use the largely unused second floor of the Vaitele market. The second floor was initially built for flea market stalls and office space for rent.

When the Sunday Samoan visited the place yesterday, the stalls are no longer there. They have been replaced by several offices painted in white and green.

Carpenters were also frantically fixing windows, the ceiling and the walls. One of the carpenters told the Sunday Samoan it’s highly unlikely that the place would be ready for tomorrow.

“They want to move in but it’s not even ready yet,” he said. “It was short notice so we are trying our best working after hours to make sure the office is completed by Monday.”

“But you take a look around and you will see that there is a lot of cleaning up that needs to be done and we will be back here on Monday to finish off.”

At the old Faleata headquarter yesterday, only a few staff members were shifting furniture on the truck to be taken to Vaitele.

A staff member, who is not authorised to speak to the media, said the office started its relocation on Friday.

“We started moving things on Friday to the new place,” said the staff member.

“There is a lot of equipment that are here that we haven’t taken to the new space.

“We are taking some of the furniture at the moment but other equipments would have to wait until the office is ready…we are not sure if will be opening on Monday that depends on the guys working at the market.”

According to RNZI report, only one Chinese business partner has put in a tender for the sale of the S.L.C head office at Tuanaimato.

Tender has been closed and a decision is yet to be made on the bid.

Earlier last month, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi revealed the government’s plan to turn the multi million tala S.L.C building at Tuanaimato into a hotel.

Tuilaepa said the decision that was made by the new Minister of Public Enterprises Lautafi Fio Purcell was supported by him.

“The government’s vision is to run it like a business,” Tuilaepa said. “Running it like a business will generate income to finance the government budget.”

Tuilaepa said Minister Lautafi saw the potential for the government to generate revenue from the building at Tuana’imato so he asked the Corporation to move to the second floor of the Vaitele market.

Opened a few years ago, the $5.7 million market, built by S.L.C, includes an expansive crops hall, a fish market that’s never been used as well as several shops that are empty.

According to a Report of the Controller and Chief Auditor, Fuimaono Camillo Afele to the Legislative Assembly, S.L.C fell $11million short of its revenue forecasts for the 2009-2010 Financial Year.

The report also highlighted that the Corporation overspent by $2.4 million, and paid $2.8 million to a “middle man” based in New Zealand.

“The Corporation did not achieve its budgeted revenue,” says Fuimaono’s report.

“Actual revenue was $11 million short of the budgeted revenue for the year.”

“The Corporation overcommitted to other projects which it could not fund,” the report reads.

The government’s plan though has already received criticisms from accommodation providers within the vicinity of Tuana’imato.

Some of them who spoke to the Sunday Samoan on the condition of anonymity said the government is tripping all over the place.

“So in one breath they ask the private sector to develop our properties and then in the very next breath they try to kill us,” says one business owner. “This is yet another classic case of the government competing with the private sector.”

“In the case of the S.L.C, they’ve already done that at Malifa with that new building they’ve just completed. And here they are doing it again here in Tuanaimato.”

“There are many accommodation providers in the area who are already struggling with poor occupation rates.”

Another accommodation provider agrees.

“It’s just sad,” she says. “So they are found to have mismanaged and abused public funds and now we the people who are paying taxes will have some of our business taken away because the government is opening a hotel in the area.”

With the United Nations’ Security Council yesterday declaring “the Ebola outbreak in West Africa a threat to peace and security”, chances the virus will reach Samoa are small.

In a communiqué issued by Samoa’s Ministry of Health (M.O.H), the World Health Organisation (W.H.O) maintains that “the risk of importing a case of Ebola into a Pacific Island remains low.”

While this may be the case, in the communiqué the Ministry issued an advisory concerning international travel.

“The current Ebola outbreak is on-going and considered a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (P.H.E.I.C.), and already confirmed in the West African countries of Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria but now also in

Senegal, with an unrelated Ebola outbreak in the Republic of Congo,” the communiqué reads.

“Currently there are no direct flights from Ebola affected areas to Samoa.

“However, many of our people travel widely, such as sporting bodies and Government Officials, even into Africa.”

“Hence this advisory update which the public is advised to take close notice of and ensure safety during travel.”

While the Ministry has issued this advisory, it states clearly that the risk of transmission of Ebola virus disease (EBV) during air travel is low.

“Ebola is not airborne - it can only be transmitted by direct contact with the body fluids of a person who is sick with the disease and is showing symptoms of Ebola,” the M.O.H. reports.

“W.H.O. does not recommend imposing travel bans to or from the countries affected, in accordance with advice from the W.H.O. Ebola Emergency Committee.”

Meanwhile, the U.N. Security Council in its first emergency meeting on a public health crisis, not only declared the Ebola outbreak in West

Africa a threat to peace and security, Secretary-General Tupua Ban Ki-moon announced the U.N. will deploy a new emergency health mission to combat one of most horrific diseases on the planet that has shattered the lives of millions.

“This international mission, to be known as the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response, or U.N.M.E.E.R., will have five priorities,” Tupua told the Security Council.

“Stopping the outbreak, treating the infected, ensuring essential services, preserving stability and preventing further outbreaks.

“Under the leadership of a Special Representative of the Secretary-General, the Mission will bring together the full range of U.N. actors and expertise in support of national efforts,” he said, adding that details of the mission were sent in a letter to the Security Council and the U.N. General Assembly.

Tupua said the mission’s effectiveness will depend crucially on support from the international community.

“Our best estimate is that we need a 20-fold increase in assistance,” he said.

The U.N. this week outlined a set of critical needs totalling almost $1billion over the next six months.

Tupua spoke before the Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution, sponsored by 131 countries – reportedly more than any other sponsors of a resolution to date in the chamber – “determining that the unprecedented extent of the

Ebola outbreak in Africa constitute a threat to international peace and security.”

Expressing concern about the detrimental effect of the isolation of Ebola-hit Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone as a result of trade and travel restrictions imposed on the affected countries, the Council called on Member States, including of the region, to such restrictions imposed as a result of the outbreak, and to facilitate the delivery of assistance, including qualified, specialised and trained personnel and supplies to the affected countries.

Briefing the Council members, Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General of the W.H.O. said: “None of us experienced in containing outbreaks has ever seen, in our lifetimes, an emergency on this scale, with this degree of suffering and with this magnitude of cascading consequences.”

Emphasising that the current reports, which show more than 5,500 people have been infected by Ebola and more than 2,500 killed by it in West Africa, are “vast underestimates”, Dr. Chan said the W.H.O. Ebola Response Roadmap outlines 12 critical actions.

“The fact that the United States, Unite Kingdom, China, Cuba and other countries are using a variety of assets, including military, speaks to the complexity of the challenge,” she said.

“This surge in support could help turn things around for the roughly 22 million people, in the hardest-hit countries whose lives and societies have been shattered by one of the most horrific diseases on this planet.”

 Tupua added that the penalty for inaction is high. 

“We need to race ahead of the outbreak – and then turn and face it with all our energy and strength,” he said.

Tupua called out to non-traditional donors, the business community, for example, to contribute in the health, transport, communications and information sectors.

Both the Tupua and the President of the Security Council for the month of September, United States Ambassador Samantha Power, said only twice before has the Security Council met to discuss the security implications of a public health issue – both times on the A.I.D.S. epidemic.

Yesterday’s meeting was the first emergency meeting on a public health issue, according to the Security Council President.

In his closing remarks to the Council, Dr. David Nabarro, the Senior U.N. System Coordinator for Ebola, welcomed the “powerful solidarity” shown during the day-long meeting for the countries affected, as well as appreciation for what they and their partners are doing to confront the outbreak.

Some countries, including from Africa, had offered some significant commitments in support of the international Ebola response.

“This has been such an extraordinary outpouring of support from all over the world – a real global coalition,” he said.

Speaking to the press immediately after the meeting, Dr. Chan said she too had been touched by the outpouring of solidarity, which “gives us hope that the global community understands the severity of the outbreak and the fact that no one country or organisation can address it alone.”

~With reporting from the U.N. Media Centre

As the Ebola epidemic in West Africa has spiralled out of control, affecting thousands of Liberians, Sierra Leonians, and Guineans, and threatening thousands more, the world’s reaction has been glacially, lethally slow.

Only in the past few weeks have heads of state begun to take serious notice.

To date, the virus has killed more than 2,600 people.

This is a comparatively small number when measured against much more established diseases such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, influenza, and so on, but several factors about this outbreak have some of the world’s top health professionals gravely concerned:

• Its kill rate: In this particular outbreak, a running tabulation suggests that 54 percent of the infected die, though adjusted numbers suggest that the rate is much higher.

• Its exponential growth: At this point, the number of people infected is doubling approximately every three weeks, leading some epidemiologists to project between 77,000 and 277,000 cases by the end of 2014.

• The gruesomeness with which it kills: by hijacking cells and migrating throughout the body to affect all organs, causing victims to bleed profusely.

• The ease with which it is transmitted: through contact with bodily fluids, including sweat, tears, saliva, blood, urine, semen, etc., including objects that have come in contact with bodily fluids (such as bed sheets, clothing, and needles) and corpses.

• The threat of mutation: Prominent figures have expressed serious concerns that this disease will go airborne, and there are many other mechanisms through which mutation might make it much more transmissible.

Terrifying as these factors are, it is not clear to me that any of them capture what is truly, horribly tragic about this disease.

The most striking thing about the virus is the way in which it propagates.

True, through bodily fluids, but to suggest as much is to ignore the conditions under which bodily contact occurs. Instead, the mechanism Ebola exploits is far more insidious. This virus preys on care and love, piggybacking on the deepest, most distinctively human virtues.

Affected parties are almost all medical professionals and family members, snared by Ebola while in the business of caring for their fellow humans.

More strikingly, 75 percent of Ebola victims are women, people who do much of the care work throughout Africa and the rest of the world. In short, Ebola parasitizes our humanity.

NZ Herald - More than 250kg of drugs was swapped with boxes of cornstarch inside an Auckland International Airport cargo zone controlled by Customs.

Unfortunately for the businessman who owned Ezi World Cargo, which moves freight for the Pacific Islands, police officers were covertly watching the largest drug shipment into New Zealand ever discovered.

Mosese Laumanu Uele was this week sentenced to 5 years and 5 months in prison after pleading guilty to one charge of importing pseudoephedrine into the country.

His jail term was reduced because of his early admission, genuine remorse and previous good character.

Justice Mark Woolford said the 48-year-old was not the “prime mover” but played an important role because of his business and licence to operate in a Customs Controlled Area.

Intercepted phone calls show one of the main Operation Ghost targets, Da Wen Shao, was in frequent contact with the former staff member of Ezi World.

Uele initially rebuffed approaches from his ex-employee to help smuggle drugs but Justice Woolford said the financial temptation, an offer of $60,000, became too great.

She left a van unattended in a supermarket carpark last October, which Uele drove into Ezi World on George Bolt Memorial Drive.

Later that night, police covertly took the van into a Customs compound nearby and tested the powder - and found genuine cornstarch - before resealing the boxes and returning to Ezi World.

Sometime over the next three days, Uele swapped the cornstarch with boxes labelled “potato starch” but containing pseudoephedrine.

He later left the van in an Onehunga carpark, where it was taken and the 250kg drug cache split at “safe houses” in Avondale and Blockhouse Bay.

Justice Woolford accepted Uele’s involvement was a “one off” and “totally out of character”, which had previously included generous donations to the Tongan community.

His lawyer John Kovacevich told the Herald that his client was a “very good man who got caught up with some bad people”.

The total amount of pseudoephedrine seized in the October and December raids was nearly 600kg - enough to cook $172 million of P - including 260kg disguised as “bread crumbs” inside a shipping container at the Ports of Auckland.

Homes, cars and cash worth more than $20 million were seized and restrained under the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act.

A young woman, who believes “women can do just about anything men can” has achieved a rare first.

General Manager, Cameron Penfold, presented the cheque to Sr. Malia Aloisia, of the Little Sisters of the Poor before the residents of Mapuifagalele.

“I’m proud to be presenting this cheque on behalf of the staff and management of Westpac today. The Mapuifagalele Home of the Aged is an integral part of our community and we’re proud to support it,” Mr. Penfold said.

The General Manager told the residents of Mapuifagalele and the representatives of the Little Sisters of the Poor that the donation of $3,000.00 was made possible by Fred Wetzell, of A.C.P Company Ltd.

“Back in June when we hosted a cocktail for the Manu Samoa and the Tonga game, we auctioned a Manu Samoa Jersey and a Tonga Jersey – and Mr. Wetzell won the auction for both jerseys. Fred told me that night that he was really happy that the proceeds from the auction are being donated to Mapuifagalele,” said Mr. Penfold.

Sr Malia Aloisia thanked Mr. Penfold and Westpac for its continuous support of the residents of Mapuifagalele.

“Thank you Cameron for your donation this morning,” she said.

“This is not the first time Westpac has been kind to us. We have a plantation because of the Bank, last year the Westpac staff and few staff refurbished our little fale at the back of our property and the previous year Westpac put up a Christmas tree with gifts for all the residents of Mapuifagalele and the staff sang Christmas carols.”

Mr. Penfold said that he is proud of Westpac’s initiative to always give back to the community.

The Ministry of Police is responsible for informing the former Police Commissioner, Lilomaiava Fou Taioalo, about his termination.

That was the response from Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, when he was told that Lilomaiava has still not been officially informed about his termination.

“The decision has been made and the Head of the Ministry of Police passes on the decision to the Commissioner,” Tuilaepa said.

“You (media) came and asked me (last week). I thought that since it’s been a while (since the decision was made) and that he’s already been informed.”

When Tuilaepa was asked last week if a decision has been made on the Commissioner following a Commission of Inquiry, he said yes.

“The Commission had recommended that he should be retired.”

He later clarified that Lilomaiava was terminated.

Attempts to get a comment from the Minister of Police, Sala Fata Pinati and the Assistant Commissioner, Fauono Talalelei Tapu, were unsuccessful.

Contacted for a comment on Wednesday, Lilomaiava said he had still not been officially informed.

“Right now, I’m sitting in the dark not knowing what is happening,” he told the Samoa Observer.

“I have not been formally informed by the government. I feel sad because everyone is talking about my termination and yet I’m not aware of it.”

The Commissioner said he will write to the government to find out if they in fact have made a decision.

Lilomaiava was the subject of a second Commission of Inquiry into his performance, in particular the running of the Tafa’igata prison.

While the Assistant Commissioner of Prison Sala Seaga Uili decided to resign ahead of the second Inquiry, Lilomaiava fought on. He maintained his innocence.

Like the first Inquiry, the second Inquiry was Chaired by the Ombudsman, Maiava Iulai Toma.

Diana Roma, Lilomaiava’s lawyer before the Inquiry, argued that the allegations against her client had not been proven and therefore his services should not be terminated.

“To conclude, the Commission may find at the end of the inquiry that there are short coming’s in the performance of the Commissioner but our submissions are that the Commissioner offered reasonable explanations towards the matters raised in light of the Tafaigata Report which we submit does not

Former Member of Parliament, Patu Ativalu Togi II, has called on the Police to “re-investigate” the death of mental health patient, Hans Dalton.

Mr. Dalton was found dead in a gallon of water on Boxing Day in 2012 at Tafa’igata Prison.

A former Police officer who headed the prison from 1989 to 1995, the 75-year-old Patu says Mr. Dalton’s death is “a reflection of bad management decisions” in the Police.

Patu’s comments come days after Attorney General, Aumua Ming Leung Wai, confirmed that the government is being sued by the family of Mr. Dalton for $30million. The civil claim mainly targets the Ministry of Health (M.O.H) and the Ministry of

Police and Prisons (M.O.P.P).

Patu said the Police must find who killed Mr. Dalton pointing out that it is utterly unfair for members of the public to pay for the Police’s negligence.

“Thirty million is a lot of money. Who will suffer as a result of that civil claim? It is the people, the taxpayers.”

Patu said the investigation into Mr. Dalton’s death by Police was “poorly done”.

“Now the government is being sued for this much money but if the Police had done their jobs properly, it would not have come to this.”

The former Director of Investigation and Operations at the Police is also offering his services to assist with the investigation.

He said that during his time as the Head of Tafa’igata Prison, police officers were not “allowed to beat prisoners because this was not the law.”

“Police officers during my time were disciplined,” he said.

Patu said there were a number of ways available to discipline prisoners.

“If a prisoner causes an uproar, they would be punished by being put into the cell where murderers and those with brutal and violent behaviour were kept.

“This room is very small and prisoners that acted out in any way and refused to stop screaming or being violent would be put in there along with the worst known criminals.

“The room had only one toilet and if there were 15 prisoners in there for over 24 hours, they were only given half or quarter of a ration of their food and eventually they will learn.”

Patu recalled that prisoners put into this cell could not sleep on the floor and had to stand because there was not enough room.

“The stench from the one toilet they all had to use would eventually see them calming down and learning from the experience.”

Police officers today however are very different, said Patu.

Thinking back to his days, if an officer mistreated a prisoner, “I would back hand them and remind them who they are and why they are there”.

Prisoners also have rights, he said.

“They are human beings and so they should be treated properly. The only difference between them and us is freedom.”

Getting back to Mr. Dalton’s case, Patu said “people with mental disorders should never be taken to the prison.”

“Police officers are not trained to handle people with mental disorders.”

The responsibility for these patients is that of the Ministry of Health.

Dalton was found dead at Tafa’igata Prison in a gallon of water. Police initially ruled that the New Zealand –based Samoan had committed suicide.

Later on another prisoner Jonathan Patrick Crichton was charged in relation to his death.

In February this year, he was found not guilty after Supreme Court Justice Lesatele Rapi Va’ai overturned a decision by a panel of assessors.

Mr. Dalton was in the country on holiday when he was killed.

Patu said justice needs to be done.

“There isn’t anyone out there who doesn't feel the pain his family is going through.”

That’s why he wants the Police to reopen their investigation.

“Justice must be done and it must be seen to be done.”

Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, has downplayed Hans Dalton’s family’s decision to sue the government for $30million.

The lawsuit specifically targets the Ministry of Police and Health. The civil claim follows Mr. Dalton’s death at Tafaigata prison in 2012 where he was found in a gallon of water.

Mr. Dalton had a mental disorder and he was initially taken to the hospital.

However, he was later transferred to the prison where he would later die.

Speaking to the Samoa Observer, Prime Minister Tuilaepa the lawsuit does not surprise him.

“Whether it’s $100 million or a billion, it can’t be stopped because anybody can file a lawsuit (against another) of a billion or $100 million,” said Tuilaepa.

“The subject is based on their opinions to take before the Court. So it’s nothing to be shocked about, it’s not new.”

Tuilaepa said he has himself been threatened with lawsuits many times.

“Some twenty years ago I was threatened by a foreign bank institution for a billion (lawsuit),” Tuilaepa said.

“I said that’s nice and I’ve been waiting for it. It didn't amount to anything.”

Dalton’s death at the Tafaigata prison on Boxing day in December 2012 is the subject of a $30,051,847 sue from his family.

Attorney General Aumua Ming Leung Wai confirmed this.

Aumua said Christine Wilson who is the mother of Hans Dalton “has instituted civil proceedings against the Attorney General on behalf of the MOH and MOPP for the death of Dalton at Tafaigata Prison in December 2012”.

“The amount of her claim is $30,051,847 tala for the following:

- Negligence against the M.O.H and M.O.P.P

- Breach of Article 5 of the Constitution (Right to Life) against M.O.P.P

- Breach of Article 6 (right to personal liberty) against M.O.P.P and MOH; and

- Breach of Article 7 (Freedom from inhuman treatment) against M.O.P.P.”

It is not clear when the case will proceed.

“Manu’s just the same. He stays with some old friends and they go outside playing touch rugby together. We were playing touch rugby together in our village at home”

The foundation of Loto Taumafai School’s National Disability Centre at Vaitele-fou is slowly taking shape after the groundbreaking ceremony in May.

Estimated to cost $12 million, the Centre is being funded by China.

The agreement between China and Samoa that provides funding for this centre is expected to benefit the people of Samoa with special needs.

The building is a new disability centre with eleven classrooms and other necessary facilities.

The centre will house classes for Year one to year eleven and is expected to have an intake of 150 students.

It will also have an early intervention programme that reaches out to approximately 300 children or more.

The two acre complex will include a vocational workshop, a special pool to treat the children, computer rooms, gymnasium, dining hall, and a two storey office block.

President Leta’a Dan Devoe declined to comment on the development of the establishment. He said to give him time to put something together for next week.

But there are high hopes that when the construction is completed, the new Centre will benefit everybody with disabilities in Samoa and nurture more and more students as quality human resources, to serve society and make their own valuable contribution to Samoa.

Loto Taumafai National Disability Centre is well known for its education programme and the services for people with disability in Samoa. It was established in 1981.

The new National Disability Centre is being built at Vaitele Fou, is next to the Faatuatua School.

“Manu’s just the same. He stays with some old friends and they go outside playing touch rugby together. We were playing touch rugby together in our village at home”

PR - Westpac Group has welcomed the announcement that it had been assessed as the most sustainable bank globally in the 2014 Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) Review.

Westpac CEO, Gail Kelly, said she was delighted Westpac had achieved sector leadership in this well recognised benchmark, building on Westpac’s award as the world’s most sustainable company in the Global100 at Davos earlier this year.

“This clearly shows that our commitment to sustainability is deeply embedded in our business processes, our culture and our operational strategy,” Mrs. Kelly said.

“It is also a wonderful reflection of the outstanding efforts of our 36,000 employees who are working every day to achieve our vision to help our customers, communities and people prosper and grow.”

Westpac has been recognised as a global leader for banks in the DJSI since 2002. In the 2014 DJSI, Westpac achieved its strongest ever score of 93%. In assessing Westpac's performance, S&P Dow Jones Indices and RobecoSAM rated Westpac’s performance strongest in the following areas:

• Financial inclusion

• Financial stability and systemic risk

• Customer relationship management

• Risk and crisis management

• Labour practice indicators and human rights

• Climate strategy

• Supply chain management

• Brand management

• Anti-crime policy and measures, codes of conduct, compliance, corruption and bribery.

The DJSI RobecoSAM assessment is the most widely accepted global evaluation of how companies manage and perform across social, economic and environmental dimensions and has become the reference point in sustainability investing.

It assesses business management practices such as corporate governance, risk management, customer relations, brand management, human resources, corporate community investment, climate change mitigation and environmental performance. For more information, visit Dow Jones Sustainability Index.

Westpac operates in seven Pacific countries - Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, Cook Islands and Samoa – through its network of more than 50 branches, 100 ATMs, thousands of merchants and In-Store Banking facilities.

“Manu’s just the same. He stays with some old friends and they go outside playing touch rugby together. We were playing touch rugby together in our village at home”

Samoans and young Pacific Islanders in New Zealand with a penchant for crime-fighting TV shows are being urged to consider becoming real-life detectives as police continue a push to increase diversity in their ranks.

New Zealand’s Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs and Commissioner Mike Bush this week signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at recruiting more Pacific people into policing, and to senior ranks.

They hope it will help to reduce the disproportionately high number of Pacific Islanders coming before the courts. The partnership is also focused on education to reduce violence and alcohol harm, and promote road safety.

Pacific Islanders make up 7 per cent of the population but accounted for 10 per cent of convictions in 2013 and 11.7 per cent of the prison population in March this year.

There are currently about 490 Pacific police officers - or 5 per cent of the total.

Ministry chief executive Pauline Winter said promoting crime-fighting roles to school students could be one way to help.

“Young people who have been talking to us really like the CSI process. Some of the conversations we’ve been having with them include what sort of subjects they need to study to have that career in forensics.”

Detective Inspector George Fa’alogo, who has been a police officer for 30 years, said that, although detective work was not quite like the hit television crime show, it was a rewarding career.

“It’s painstaking work. It’s not as sexy as what you see on TV - but the thing with police is the camaraderie, the tenacity, being part of the team.

“It’s serving the public.”

He highlighted Pacific Island and Maori colleagues with successful police careers - such as Superintendent Sue Schwalger, who, like him, has Samoan heritage. She was the second woman to be appointed superintendent, and led the high-profile Scott Guy murder inquiry.

Fa’alogo said some of the sharpest detective work he had seen was by former colleague Kerry Parata. Weeks into the search for missing schoolgirl Karla Cardno, Parata was suspicious when she saw a man vacuuming his car in the rain.

The man was Paul Dally, who was later jailed for the rape and murder of the 13-year-old.

In recent years, there has been an active bid to increase the number of women officers, in response to Dame Margaret Bazley’s damning 2007 report, which found they were under-represented at senior levels and there was a culture of nepotism and discrimination.

Police set a series of five-year targets in response. There are so far 1700 women among a total of 12,000 police. Four have reached the rank of superintendent.

“Manu’s just the same. He stays with some old friends and they go outside playing touch rugby together. We were playing touch rugby together in our village at home”

“Today I am marching for my children. I am marching so they can live in a world without worrying about the next big storm destroying their community”

Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi’s arrival in New York for Tupua Ban Ki-Moon’s Climate Change Summit was greeted by the biggest rally against climate change in history yesterday.

More than 100,000 people marched through the streets of New York City while thousands more did the same in separate marches around the world during the weekend.

Dubbed the "People's Climate March," the United Nations Secretary-General Tupua Ban Ki-Moon, New York City Mayor, Bill de Blasio and United States senators were part of the march, held ahead of tomorrow’s United Nations Climate

Change Summit. The meeting, to be attended by 125 countries, is the first time in five years world leaders have gathered to discuss climate change.

The Summit aims to get world leaders to pledge emission cuts that could become part of a global agreement to be approved at United Nations' climate talks next year in Paris.

Prime Minister Tuilaepa is heading the Samoan delegation in New York. They left Samoa, via New Zealand, during the weekend.

Speaking in Apia about the Summit, Prime Minister Tuilaepa said leaders should take the lead, to support an ambitious climate change treaty in 2015.

“We should announce bold commitments of what we can do, not what others should do,” Tuilaepa said.

The Prime Minister said the outcome of the New York summit should send a clear signal to the Lima conference “to negotiate in earnest and in good faith so that Paris becomes the conference of hope for S.I.D.S in 2015.”

Tuilaepa reminded that 20 years ago at the Earth Summit in Rio, the Alliance of Small Islands States insisted on placing climate change on the international agenda. This has remained a priority item since then.

“Our message is the same today as it was in Rio in 1992 and that is climate change is a global problem and yet international action to address it remains grossly inadequate,” he said.

“Small island states contribute the least to the causes of climate change yet suffer the most from its effects.”

Tuilaepa said “sympathy and pity will not provide solace nor halt the disastrous impact of climate change.” This is why countries like Samoa are calling on “our global partners to step forward and commit to address once and for all the root causes of climate change.

“And in the implementation of your national commitments, S.I.D.S’s vulnerability should not be advanced or used as the reason for doing so. What individual countries do is first and foremost for the benefit of your people and their own economies by necessity and survival.”

As for S.I.D.S, Tuilaepa said they have no choice but to mitigate and adapt to the changing environment no matter what.

“It is the future of our people that is at stake, hence why we have to act now, not tomorrow, with or without the support of others.”

Tuilaepa also urged the United Nations to take concrete steps to stem rising sea levels, noting that critical problems do not recognise borders and hold no respect for sovereignty.

“The big problems of our small islands will sooner rather than later impact every country irrespective of level of development of prosperity,” he said.

“There are always great opportunities to deliver moralistic statements and declarations of intent. But grandstanding won't achieve our cause.”

According to USA Today, protesters yesterday chanted, "What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!" They carried signs with messages such as: "Go Solar,""You Control Climate Change" and "There Is No Planet B."

Heather Snow, 57, said that the most pressing environmental issue facing the nation today is war.

"The whole Congress, everyone has gone insane, and it's time to end the insanity," she said. "I don't know how, I don't know when, but it's got to happen soon. We're running out of time."

Snow, a massage therapist from Wilmington, N.C., said she was at the march to "bring more consciousness to the issue."

Her sign asked simply, "Got Sanity?"

Organizers said some 550 busloads had arrived for the rally, which followed similar events in 166 countries including Britain, France, Afghanistan and Bulgaria.

“Today I am marching for my children. I am marching so they can live in a world without worrying about the next big storm destroying their community,” said Bill Aristovolus, the superintendent of an apartment building in New York City's working-class Bronx borough.

US Secretary of State, John Kerry will deliver keynote remarks at the summit's opening event. He will showcase climate action that the USA is taking at home and present his vision for advancing a global low carbon economy, his office said.

The People's Climate March and the summit are part of Climate Week NYC, an annual event "to get people together to make the business case for climate action," said Sylvain Biville of the Climate Group, which organizes the week.

The Climate Group's goal is "a prosperous, low-carbon future," which the group says will be achieved by "a rapid scale-up of low carbon energy and technology."

This year's Climate Week events follow a series of scientific reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that conclude global warming is "unequivocal" and that it is extremely likely that human activity has been the dominant cause since the mid-20th century.

According to the I.P.C.C, the world is on a path to exceed a 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit rise in temperature, the limit that countries have set to ensure that the world would not suffer the worst effects of climate change.

On the streets of New York yesterday, the marchers, many of whom wore vivid colours, were led by indigenous groups from around the world. Organizers says many of these indigenous people are often the first victims of climate change.

At 12:58 p.m., there was a moment of silence to honor them. Demonstrators marked the moment by linking their hands above their heads.

Ezra Silk, 25, of Portland, Maine, said the USA has to take action on climate change if it wants to protect the nation's democracy. He pointed to Syria as an example of how climate change can contribute to a country's collapse.

"There was the worst drought in its modern history," said Silk, co-founder of The Climate Mobilization, which advocates a World War II-scale intervention on climate change.

"It caused a major upheaval when all the farmers came into the cities. There was a tyrant, who then oppressed his people, a civil war broke out, destabilizing the entire region, and a group like ISIS has come to the forefront. I mean that's the embodiment of what America is not about, and that's what collapse of civilization would look like."

Robyn Moore, 39, was at the march with her husband, Martin Moore, 40, their daughter, Charlotte, 4, and son, Henry, 15 months. Charlotte wore a simple sign of the earth around her neck, her hair adorned with leaves.

"We're here as a family for the future of our kids," she said.

- Additional reporting from USA Today and agencies

“Manu’s just the same. He stays with some old friends and they go outside playing touch rugby together. We were playing touch rugby together in our village at home”

In an effort to capture a bigger portion of the export market Samoan businesses need to “work smarter.”

So says the President of the Samoa Exporters and Manufacturer’s Association (S.A.M.E), Tagaloa Eddie Wilson.

During an interview with the Samoa Observer, Tagaloa said that in working smarter, businesses need to focus on capacity building and climate change adaptation.

“We do not have the economies of scale to compete with larger players,” he said. “So we need to ‘work smarter’ and be competitive.

“Samoa needs to focus on capacity building and climate change adaptation.”

Tagaloa said the private sector - the manufacturers, exporters and service providers - also need to build supply capacity for agriculture and service providers for import substitution and export industries.

“These industries need to have access to competitive finance and supply chain,” he said.

“Whether in agriculture or trade or utility services or any other provider in the value added chain.”

Other providers he said included transport, information technology and telecommunication.

“These are all interlinked in enabling the country and its people to survive,” said Tagaloa.

“(To help them) adapt to an increasingly challenging environment – with climate change a major challenging fact of life especially for Samoa and the Pacific Islands.”

These comments come in light of advice offered to Samoa by the Executive Director of the International Trade Centre (ITC), Arancha González.

In Samoa earlier this month for the Small Island Developing States (S.I.D.S.) conference, Ms. González said Samoa needed to brand its self intelligently if businesses are to trade effectively.

“Now in a small island like Samoa, or a small island like Tonga, anywhere in the Pacific where size is a limitation, I think the answer is to invest (in) efforts at making sure your economic operators capture a greater part of the value in country,” she said then.

“So you try to add value to the assets that you have.

“These islands have amazing assets. Agriculture is a huge asset in these islands, with a rich biodiversity, one that to my mind has not been fully exploited yet.”
Tagaloa said by having an export focus, Samoan manufacturers and exporters could value add to their products.

“And (by) continuously improving quality and product (and) service presentation,” he said.

“Whilst maintaining competitiveness in terms of price and quality.”

Recently S.A.M.E. hosted an International Organisation for Standardisation (I.S.O.) Training Course.

According to a release issued by the Association, I.S.O. International Standards ensure that products and services are safe, reliable and of good quality.

“For business, they are strategic tools that reduce costs by minimising waste and errors and increasing productivity,” the release says.

“They help companies to access new markets, level the playing field for developing countries and facilitate free and fair global trade.”

Tagaloa said this program provides guidance to manufacturers and exporters in achieving this value adding to their products, as it prepares S.A.M.E. members to become certified in that they meet international standards.

He said the training was important because for Samoa manufacturers and exporters to survive in an increasingly liberalised trading environment- they need to be competitive and be internationally recognised.

Returning to comments made by Ms. González, she said that 21st Century trade is as much about tariffs as it is about non-tariff barriers.

“Standards, regulations, precautionary measures, preventative measures, prudential regulations and that is much more difficult,” she said at the conference.

“This is why I say for trade to work, you have to open trade you have to open trade, but you also have to build the capacity of your operators to trade.”

Tagaloa said he was in complete agreeance with this notion.

“This is why S.A.M.E. is focusing on capacity building for Samoan manufacturers and exporters of goods and services,” he said.

“The S.A.M.E. I.S.O. program provides guidance to manufacturers and exporters in achieving this.

“The I.S.O. program is about continuous improvement- with the main goal on consumer satisfaction and recognition and to remain competitive.”

When asked if he thought donor and trade partners should focus more on helping their smaller trading partners by capacity building their private sectors to assist with trade, Tagaloa said “yes”.

“But we must also be committed to helping ourselves in achieving and enhancing trade,” said Tagaloa.

“The S.A.M.E. I.S.O. program and its Buy Samoa made export drive- is geared towards this.

“First the focus on New Zealand- next on the Australian market- and then the larger markets in Asia and Europe longer term.”

The management of the Manu Samoa Sevens team yesterday named its team for the Oceania Sevens and the first leg of the IRB Sevens in Australia.

Both tournaments will be played in Australia at the beginning of next month.

The team sees the return of some veterans including former captains, Afa Aiono and Lolo Lui. Fautua Otto also makes the travelling squad along with Faalemiga Selesele and Tom Iosefo.

The team is coached by Fuimaono Titimaea Tafua as head coach and Galumalemana Rudolf Moors as Team Manager.

MANU SAMOA SEVENS
Forwards:
1. Lio Lolo, Afa Aiono 3. Tofatu Solia
4. Faalemiga Selesele 5. Afioa’e Maiava

Backs
6. Alatasi Tupou, 7. Lolo Lui 8. Fautua Otto
9. Siaosi Asofolau 10. Tom losefo
11. Samoa Toloa 12. Tila Mealoi

Non-travelling Reserves
1. Foma’i Ah Ki 2. Tulolo Tulolo 3. Arnold Meredith

Head Coach: Fuimaono Titimaea Tafua
Team Manager: Galumalemana Rudolp Moors
Physiotherapist: Mathew Amituanai

Members of the Commonwealth of Learning (C.O.L) Focal Points have been urged to use the S.A.M.O.A. Pathway to address challenges on sustainable development in education.

The call was made by the Minister of Education, Magele Mauiliu Magele, yesterday during his Keynote Address at the opening of a three-day meeting of members of the C.O.L Focal Points held at the Visions Restaurant, National University of Samoa.

Magele reiterated the government's support in improving education, taking into account the fast changing world of technology as a challenge.

"I congratulate you Madam President for your leadership and the work you have done, and we are also thankful for expanding education and training opportunity. Our education institutions are appreciating the benefits of your work," he said.

The President and C.E.O Commonwealth of Learning Professor, Asha Kanwar, is optimistic that the meeting would push for more issues from Samoa and the Pacific to be addressed.

"We need to hear from you what your priorities are as its a part of the strategic plan beyond 2012- 2016."

"It is also an opportunity for us to present a summary of what we have done so far for each Pacific country," said Prof. Kanwar.

"It is also to promote Commonwealth rights and to remind us of our shared values.”

The three-day meeting will also focus on devising new opportunities to encourage innovative approaches in teaching and delivering quality education in various issues affecting small developing countries.

The Commonwealth of Learning Focal Points' role is to help countries use a range of appropriate and available approaches and technologies to foster learning at scale.

The discussions will also ensure that COL initiatives match national priorities for each country over the next three years.

ABOUT Commonwealth of Learning

The Commonwealth of Learning (C.O.L) is an intergovernmental organization created by Commonwealth Heads of Government to encourage the development and sharing of open learning/distance education, knowledge, resources and technologies.

C.O.L is helping nations improve access to quality in education and training.

The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of more than 50 independent sovereign states, which provide support to each other, and work together toward international goals.

The Commonwealth is described as a "family" of nations, originally linked together in the British Empire and now building on their common heritage in language, culture and education, which enables them to work together in an atmosphere of greater trust and understanding than generally prevails among nations.

Bringing together some 1.7 billion people of many faiths, races, languages, traditions and levels of economic development, the Commonwealth represents almost one-third of the world's population.

* Iutita Meauli is a student at the N.U.S Media and Journalism School