A 28-year-old mother has pleaded guilty to 12 charges of theft as a servant before the Supreme Court.

Defendant Sausoli Loli Pili committed the crimes while working at the Samoa English Cricket Association (S.E.C.A).

According to the Police summary of facts, the mother of two was working at the Finance Department of S.E.C.A and part of her duties included banking money for the Association.

Between May 2014 to July 2014, the Court heard that Pili stole $6,550 from S.E.C.A and used it on herself.

Yesterday, the defendant asked the Court for forgiveness.

“I apologise to your Honour and I am remorseful for what I’ve done,” she said.

She pleaded for a chance to pay back the money that belongs to the Association.

Asked how she plans to pay the money since she is no longer working, she said her parents have already contacted some relatives outside of Samoa who have agreed to help.

The matter has been adjourned until the 29 September for sentencing.

It is that time of the year again, when Samoa uses sign language to order morning tea, as one of the activities of International week of the Deaf 2014.

Tomorrow, 24 September 2014, SENESE with lots of help from eight participating local cafes throughout Apia, will be holding a morning tea where sign language, rather than the spoken word, will be used to order drinks and something to eat.

This is the second year SENESE has collaborated with our partner cafes to organise this event, following its nationwide popularity last year where cafes had requested for a repeat of this awareness raising activity.

The idea is that you visit one of our participating cafes, place your drink order using sign language (we’ll have posters and interpreters at each location to help you), and the café will donate a portion of the cost of your drink to SENESE’s Deaf Services.

If you’re feeling extra generous you can also place your change in the Sip, Sign & Tip Donation Jar.

Your participation and kind donations will be used to continue SENESE’s support for deaf adults and children in Samoa – support like sign language training, family and school support, social events and work placements for deaf adults.

Sip and sign is one of the activities organised by SENESE to commemorate international week of the deaf this year in Samoa.

Aside from our participating cafes, posters with basic signs and letters of the alphabets have been widely distributed to Government

Ministries and corporations and public places with the hope that Samoans will take time out during your busy schedules to communicate in sign language, perhaps during morning or afternoon tea amongst your colleagues.

Four local television stations will have their local news interpreted in sign language through this week, tv1, tv3, Kingdom TV, and EFKStv.

To top off international week of the deaf this year, SENESE’ deaf services will be holding a deaf awareness training for its staff and board this Friday. The training is to strengthen internal understanding of the issues facing deaf persons and what we can do as an organisation to further the realization of their rights, in particular to recognize sign language in Samoa.

Event details for Sip and Sign this Wednesday

When: Wednesday 24 September2014

Time: except for Krush which opens at 9am, kick off time is from8a.m.– 10a.m.

Participating cafés:

Home Café, Cross Island Rd, Moto’otua

JaLahs on Beach Rd

EnT’s Surf Sip Café, opposite Fugalei Market

Bean Headquarters (BNHQ), Beach Rd

The Coffee Bean Café, PAM’s Complex, Tamaligi

Bean Central Café (The Van), Leung Wai Arcade

Mc Donald’s Family restaurant

Krush, Touch of Samoa, Tanugamanono

To find out more about the event please check out our Facebook event, email us at HYPERLINK “mailto:senese@samoa.ws” senese@samoa.ws or call SENESE on 27532 or 7751734.

We look forward to helping you make your cup count!

The Ministry of Justice and Courts Administration (M.J.C.A) is conducting a seven-week Soalaupule Samoan Customary Mediation training at its Mulinu’u headquarters.

The aim of the course is to equip mediators who deal specifically with cases from the Land and Titles Court. The course is taught in four components.

Associate Professor of Law at the University of Otago, Selene Mize, told the Samoa Observer that the training is not only useful for the purpose of the Land and Titles Court, it is also useful in other areas.

“In the Land and Titles Court, mediation is compulsory,” she said.

“As I understand it now (it is used) to resolve disputes and it takes some of the burden off the Court because mediation can often resolve them.

“The Court only needs to get involve to sign off the agreement.”

Ms. Mize said mediation is particularly important to Samoa “because there’s a customary mediation tradition which is one of the ways that Samoa is quite special internationally.”

Born in the United States, Ms. Mize, who is based in New Zealand, said both those countries don’t have this traditional mediation.

“(Parties) were much more likely to go to war or for tribes to have conflicts between them rather than just stick to common ground.

“So that makes it particularly useful to have compulsory mediation here. It’s a way of coming up with really wise agreements.”

F.A.O Director General, Tagaloa José Graziano da Silva has reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to address food and nutritional insecurity and sustainable livelihood programmes in the Small Islands Developing States.

He made the commitment in Samoa during a series of high-level bilateral meetings in the margins of the S.I.D.S Conference, held in Apia, Samoa.

The Director-General has also stressed high level of food imports by S.I.D.S and the trend of families to favour easy to prepare processed meals rather than traditional dishes.

In this context, Tagaloa renewed the invitation to the Ministers of Agriculture to take part at the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2), to be held in Rome next November.

Another recurrent theme in the meetings was the organization’s technical expertise in small-scale fisheries, broadening opportunities for fishermen and local food production, including feasibility study in seaweed farming and finding the right balance with industrial fisheries.

F.A.O’s Blue Growth Initiative, assists S.I.D.S to sustainably use their aquatic resources, was also remembered.

S.I.D.S leaders welcomed F.A.O’s initiatives as they received a brochure with a summary of some activities undertaken by the organization in each one of its 52 states.

“All of those activities are not isolated efforts, but are part of the strategic framework that guides FAO action defined by our Members and that focuses on food security, sustainability, reducing rural poverty, improving markets and building resilience,” said Tagaloa.

The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Le Mamea Ropati Mualia was among the Ministers who met with Tagaloa while he was in Apia.

“This display of sportsmanship and comraderie has been evident during the women’s season and although the teams are at oppositions on court, once the final whistle blows it’s all smiles, handshakes and small talk again.”

It was a riveting finish to the women’s division of the Polynesian Shipping Line League as the teams played their final round of 12 week long tournament on Saturday.

All eyes were on the women’s A Grade Shield match as the undefeated Hyundainians who had already secured the championship looked to hold on to the shield in what has been record season for them. St Mary’s Sports Club were no small feat and having secured their name on the shield numerous times before, were out to ensure that since the championship was out of their reach, the shield would be their Victory for 2014. And it was.

The game was goal for goal displaying some fantastic defense from both teams as well as feisty mid court action. The game was well played and hard fought but in the last quarter it was Hyundai who succumbed to the pressure making mistakes which SMSC capitalized upon and responded in additional points. At the final whistle it was SMSC by 2 points winning 37-35, a much deserved win for the girls and their coach Seraphine Mataia.

In the men’s division fitness and stamina were tested with back to back games on Friday night and then again on Saturday for the teams. SCOPA men’s in true style held on to the shield after convincing wins against a young Kings of Pesega team on Friday night and then again on Saturday against Hyundai.

“This display of sportsmanship and comradery has been evident during the women’s season and although the teams are oppositions on court, once the final whistle blows it’s all smiles, handshakes and small talk again.” Commented Tui Hicks, Manager for Netball Samoa “Not only is the national league important in terms of developing our young talent but it also helps foster positive attitudes, develop leadership skills and provides an opportunity to network with other more experienced players who are notable figures in our community. All this in a safe, smoke and alcohol free environment”

This week Netball Samoa host Takanini 1 who play in the premier level of the Counties Manukau district, New Zealand. The team will play three matches during their time in Samoa:

1. Friday 26th - Under 19 squad @ 5.30pm
2. Saturday 27th – Hyundai A Grade @ 12pm
3. Saturday 28th – Mens @3.48pm

Netball Samoa invites everyone to go down to the NUS Gym to support the teams and witness some exciting netball action.

For more information on the draw and upcoming games visit www.facebook.com/netballsamoa or call the Netball Samoa office on 27528 or 8427528.

“It is indictment of the Commissioner’s performance and of his leadership that he was not able to implement these vitally important and sorely needed measures to lift the quality and general performance of the Police and Prisons Service”
– Commission of Inquiry

The former Police Commissioner, Lilomaiava Fou Taioalo’s performance was “below the standard” reasonably expected from someone holding his position.
As such, it was recommended to Cabinet that he be terminated.
So says the report by the Commission of Inquiry that investigated the capacity and performance of the Commissioner and an Assistant Commissioner, who had earlier resigned.
A copy of the report has been obtained by the Samoa Observer.
“We conclude that there have been acts and/or failures to act by Lilomaiava Fou Taioalo amounting to performance that is below the standard that reasonably must be expected from the Commissioner of Police in the performance of his duties and responsibilities,” the report reads.

“We conclude that as reflected in the Report of the Tafaigata Commission of Inquiry and as further explored in this Commission of Inquiry, Lilomaiava Fou Taioalo has behaved in a manner likely to adversely affect the confidence of the community in his ability to perform his role as the Commissioner of Police."

“In view of the foregoing we recommend that Lilomaiava Fou Taioalo no longer serve as Commissioner of Police.”

The Inquiry, headed by Ombudsman Maiava Iulai Toma, flows from “Cabinet’s apparent loss of confidence in Commissioner Lilomaiava” after an initial Inquiry confirmed a host of allegations at Tafa’igata – including corruption and mismanagement of the prisons.

The Inquiry was asked to focus on two issues. The first was whether Lilomaiava breached his duties as a Commissioner and whether such a breach affected the confidence of the community in the ability of the Commissioner to perform his role.

At the outset, the Commission put it to the two officers that in view of Cabinet’s implied loss of confidence in them, they could choose either to resign “or show the Commission that contrary to what may be advanced against them, there was no cause for their appointments to be terminated.”

Former Assistant Commissioner, Sala Seaga Uili resigned, leaving Commissioner Lilomaiava as the sole party of interest.

Lawyer, Diana Roma, represented the Commissioner. She objected at the outset to any suggestion that the Commission of Inquiry was a continuation of the Commission of Inquiry that produced the Report on Tafaigata Prison and Related Issues.

She was concerned that the Commissioner was made party to only part of the previous Inquiry and did not have the opportunity to examine many of the witnesses who gave evidence in that Inquiry.

Counsel Assisting explained that the Commissioner had been provided with all transcripts as directed by the Commission at the beginning of the Tafaigata Inquiry.

“We made it clear with respect to the concerns of Counsel for the Commissioner that the two Inquiries had very different objectives."

“The first Inquiry had completed its work and had reported. The current exercise flowed from that Report with a focus that was dictated by s55 of the Police Service Act."

“It was explained that while the purpose in this Inquiry was not to engage in a disputation of the findings of the first Inquiry the Commissioner would be allowed every opportunity to set any matter straight that he felt necessary to do and to call witnesses for that purpose."

“To that end the Commission would recall any witnesses that he required. Our hearings proceeded to the end without the Commissioner choosing to call anyone.”

Here is the report in full:

1. PREAMBLE
The texts of the Warrant of Appointment and the Terms of Reference for this Commission of Inquiry are reproduced below:

“WARRANT OF APPOINTMENT

I, TUI ATUA TUPUA TAMASESE EFI, Head of State of the Independent State of Samoa acting pursuant to Cabinet Directive [D,J, (14) Faapitoa 10] dated 6 May 2014 and section 4 of the Commissions of Inquiry Act 1964
APPOINT –

MAIAVA IULAI TOMA (CHAIRPERSON)

SU’A TANIELU SU’A

GATOLOAI TILI AFAMASAGA to be members of the Commission of Inquiry to inquire into and report to Cabinet and no one else, the matters relating to the subject matter in accordance with the Terms of Reference in [F.K. (14) Faapitoa 10] dated 6 May 2014 and section 55(4) of the Police Service Act 2009.

GIVEN under my hand on this 11th day of June 2014
(sgd) Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi)
HEAD OF STATE”

“TERMS OF REFERENCE COMMISSION
OF INQUIRY (COI)
PERFORMANCE AND CAPACITY
To:

(a) inquire into the capacity and performance of the respective duties of the Commissioner of the Samoa Police Service, Lilomaiava Fou Taioalo (the “Commissioner”) and Assistant Commissioner of Police – Prison Services, Sala Seaga Uili Lafaele (the “Assistant Commissioner”) by:

(i) inquiring into the conduct and performance of the Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner in light of the findings in the Commission of Inquiry - Tafaigata Report of February 2014 (Tafaigata Report); and

(ii) inquiring into whether the conduct of the Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner in paragraph (a) (i) above breached the respective duties of the Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner; and

(iii) inquiring into whether in paragraph (a) (i) above, the Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner behaved in a manner likely to affect the confidence of the community in the respective abilities of the Commissioner and Assistant

Commissioner.

(b) report back, within 4 weeks, to Cabinet matters relating to its finding in paragraph (a) above; and

(c) make recommendations to Cabinet, based on its findings in paragraph (a) above, regarding the appropriate action to be taken by Cabinet with regards to the Commissioner and the Assistant Commissioner.”

2. INTRODUCTION

The Commission first sat on Tuesday 15 July 2014.

It had come to our notice in the days prior that there was confusion about this Inquiry. There was apparently some puzzlement as to its purpose and how it fitted into the sequence of related events. It seemed incumbent upon us to ensure that the affected parties fully understood what we were embarking upon and had availed themselves of regular opportunity to act in their best interests.

We were keenly aware of the fact that the officers involved had given long and presumably in the main, good service to Samoa. Also, this matter had dragged on for some time. The Commission took the opportunity in a brief statement at the outset to clarify and to put things in context.

The brief statement explained our understanding that having considered a Commission of Inquiry Report dated 14 February on Tafaigata Prison and Related Issues, as well as reactions and comments on it from Commissioner Lilomaiava Fou

Taioalo and Assistant Commissioner Sala Seaga Uili Lafaele, Cabinet was not of a mind to simply allow the two named officers to continue in their respective offices.

It was explained that from all that had transpired, this Commission understood Cabinet to now want to know the Commission’s views on the appropriateness or otherwise of Cabinet moving, in accordance with the processes contained in section 55 of the Police Services Act, to terminate the services of the two officers concerned.

We put it to the two officers that in view of Cabinet’s implied loss of confidence in them two options were open to them. They could choose either to resign their appointments or show the Commission that contrary to what may be advanced against them, there was no cause for their appointments to be terminated at this time under the processes of s55 of the Police Service Act. It was explained that should the resignation option be chosen we would need to ascertain whether

Cabinet was still open to such a course of action.

The Police Service Act does not provide for the resignation of the Commissioner in specific terms except to indicate that it is a matter governable by contract. We take the view that any matter governable by contract is a matter that is open at any time to agreement between the parties concerned.

The Commission adjourned immediately after our explanatory statement to give the two police officers opportunity to consider matters overnight.

Assistant Commissioner Sala chose to resign, and as it was subsequently indicated to the Commission of Inquiry that Cabinet would accept the resignation, the Assistant Commissioner was allowed to withdraw from the Commission of Inquiry proceedings on 17 July 2014 leaving Commissioner Lilomaiava Fou Taioalo as the sole party of interest.

Counsel Diana Roma appeared for Commissioner Lilomaiava.

Counsel for Commissioner Lilomaiava objected at the outset to any suggestion that this Commission of Inquiry was a continuation of the Commission of Inquiry that produced the Report on Tafaigata Prison and Related Issues. She was concerned that the Commissioner was made party to only part of the previous Inquiry and did not have the opportunity to examine many of the witnesses who gave evidence in that Inquiry.

Counsel Assisting explained that the Commissioner had been provided with all transcripts as directed by the Commission at the beginning of the Tafaigata Inquiry.

We made it clear with respect to the concerns of Counsel for the Commissioner that the two Inquiries had very different objectives. The first Inquiry had completed its work and had reported. The current exercise flowed from that Report with a focus that was dictated by s55 of the Police Service Act. It was explained that while the purpose in this Inquiry was not to engage in a disputation of the findings of the first Inquiry the Commissioner would be allowed every opportunity to set any matter straight that he felt necessary to do and to call witnesses for that purpose. To that end the Commission would recall any witnesses that he required. Our hearings proceeded to the end without the Commissioner choosing to call anyone.

3. BACKGROUND

The Commission of Inquiry Report on Tafaigata Prison and Related Issues (The Tafaigata Report) was highly critical of many aspects of the operations and management of Tafaigata Prison and of general policing. It had the effect obviously of undermining Cabinet’s confidence in Lilomaiava continuing as the Commissioner of Police.

The Inquiry in which we are now engaged flows from Cabinet’s apparent loss of confidence in Commissioner Lilomaiava and serves as prelude to the termination of his employment by Cabinet should this be justified by the conclusions of this Inquiry.

S 55 (4) of the Police Service Act requires an inquiry specifically into the performance or capacity of an incumbent Commissioner prior to a termination of such Commissioner. For this Inquiry our Terms of Reference require us to focus on two issues:

(i) breach of duty; and

(ii) behaviour likely to affect the confidence of the community in the ability of the Commissioner to perform his role.

Section 55, in the context of breach of duty, points specifically to “poor performance” and directs attention to section 48 for elaboration on dealing with it.

Section 48 assumes routine assessment on a regular basis of personnel performance against established performance expectations applicable to individual officers and envisages police officers to be held to account for sub-standard performance.

The section has nothing to say about performance expectations pertaining to the Commissioner of Police. We assume this was intended to be covered by paragraph 4.8 of the Employment Contract that was drawn up for the Commissioner.

That paragraph reads as follows:

4.8 The Employee must ensure that he and the Employer enter into a Performance Agreement.

The Commissioner was appointed to a second three year term by Warrant of the Head of State on 2 October 2012. The Employment Contract was intended to be subsequently signed but when the Commissioner was suspended on 23

August 2013, the contract had not been signed and has remained unexecuted.

For this Commission of Inquiry then, provisions that are supposed to facilitate our task of determining the Commissioner’s “poor performance” do not exist. We asked ourselves whether this meant that the Commissioner’s performance couldn’t be assessed; shouldn’t be assessed; mustn’t be assessed? We doubted anything along these lines to be appropriate given the people’s perpetual entitlement in a democracy to an accounting of the performance of the Commissioner to whom total operational control of the police force is entrusted.

We took a common sense approach to the matter of “poor performance” by reflecting on events and occurrences of interest against the duties and responsibilities of the Commissioner of Police that are set out in the Act. Practically speaking, we found reflecting on the question of public confidence comparatively more clearly telling and more readily useful to our task. Adverse conclusions on one or other of the two issues are sufficient to support termination.

4. CONDUCT AND PERFORMANCE

The Commission of Inquiry on Tafaigata Prison did not inquire into the Commissioner’s performance or capacity to perform his role and did not address those issues in its report that is before us in this Inquiry.

As a starting point for this Commission of Inquiry we take it that the contents of the Tafaigata Report as a whole reflect badly on Police and Prisons. It consequentially reflects badly also on the Police Commissioner as head of Police and

Prisons with regard to his performance in that role and in relation to public confidence that ought to repose in a Commissioner of Police. Indeed, because of the Tafaigata Report, the Cabinet did demonstrably lose confidence in the capacity of the Commissioner to continue in the role.

We think it reasonable to assume that the Tafaigata Report as a whole will have a similar effect on public confidence in the police and the incumbent Commissioner’s leadership of it, regardless of how much or how little Lilomaiava may have been directly involved in the events described in the Report. Conventional public sentiment about responsibility and the accountability of public leaders for the organizations they lead tend to produce this effect when events within public organizations do not go well. The “buck stops here” (at the top) is an expression and sentiment that is familiar to ordinary folk.

This aside, in keeping with the intent of s55 of the Police Service Act, we look closely below at a few specific matters that were highlighted in the Report with particular focus on (1) whether Commissioner Lilomaiava performed his duties poorly in such matters and (2) whether by his actions or failures to act, public confidence in him may have diminished.

4.1 Lack of Regulations; Quality of Officers; Potential for Abuse of Power

The Tafaigata Report found that the lack of Regulations to the Prisons Act 1967 contributed materially to shortcomings it discovered in the management and operations of the prison. The Commissioner was asked why this situation was not addressed.

Commissioner Lilomaiava told the Commission that eight or so Commissioners before him had found the same situation in place and had simply worked with it. At any rate, it was not long after the commencement of his tenure that separation of prisons from police under a new Act was mooted. From that time on, there was no point in advocating for Regulations under the old Act. He chose instead to implement policies to address problematic areas. The situation he described to us is true, though it must be said that officers at Tafaigata indicated little awareness of the existence of such policies.

Regardless however, of whether or not Regulations are drawn up, given delegated coercive powers that all police officers have to allow timely action in emergent situations, there necessarily is heavy reliance at all times on the quality and integrity of serving officers as safeguard against abuse of power.

The Commissioner readily agreed that abuse of power does happen because of calibre shortcomings in personnel and we do not doubt his evidence that he has dealt swiftly and sternly with cases that had come to his attention.

The low quality generally speaking of Samoan police and prison officers cannot be disputed. The Tafaigata Report comments on this reality in numerous references. The Commissioner himself confirmed to the Commission the generally known fact that many recruited into the police are young people who are not able to find jobs elsewhere. According to the Commissioner, families report some of these young men to be notable troublemakers in their home localities following recruitment into the Police. It seems that power goes quickly to the head in some cases.

To even begin to address the ‘quality of police officers’ problem, it is vital for:

(1) performance expectations to be established for officers,

(2) individual performance to be assessed regularly against such standards; and

(3) sub-standard performance to be dealt with. This has not been a systemized feature of police management in the past. An Institutional Strengthening Programme financed under Foreign Aid aimed to remedy this by specific measures.

The measures which are reflected in the Police Service Act 2009 have been ready and approved for implementation since 2010. At the time of the Tafaigata Inquiry these measures and procedures were not in operation. It is thus a fact that to this day processes enacted into law in 2009 to address poor performance in the police cannot be invoked.

The Commissioner told the Tafaigata Commission of Inquiry and repeated to this Inquiry that there had been no enthusiasm in the Force for the implementation of the approved measures. Excuse after excuse to avoid implementation filtered up to him. He eventually had to order the Police Service to implement the performance assessment measures without further delay. It is not clear when this was done. It is clear however that this option was available from the outset because the

Police is a disciplined Force that operates on issued orders.

It is indictment of the Commissioner’s performance and of his leadership that he was not able to implement these vitally important and sorely needed measures to lift the quality and general performance of the Police and Prisons Service. It could even be taken as indication of insufficient personal concern about this serious shortcoming of Samoa Police.

Such perception can be expected to impact adversely on the confidence of the community-

(1) in the Commissioner’s capacity to perceive or care about general community concerns as opposed to his shown capacity to perceive and be concerned about the sensitivities of his police colleagues; and

(2) in the Commissioner’s ability to perform his role as the Commander of the disciplined force that is the Police.

4.2 Another Prison Death of a mentally disoriented person

The Tafaigata Report tells the tragic story of a man who spent a screaming tormented Christmas night at Tafaigata in 2012 under a mental health in-patient treatment order. He died at about 7.15 a.m. on Boxing Day drowned in a large drum half full of water in the prison cell.

The incident served to highlight inadequacies at Tafaigata in terms of facilities and manpower including the quality of such manpower. Ironically, as the Report points out, additional manpower by the dozens was only a shout away as the whole Upolu police force, not rostered for regular duty that night was camped at Tafaigata in keeping with police practice during the festive season.

While recognizing that there had been shortcomings in the handling of the ill man’s detention at Tafaigata the Commissioner blamed the duty charge officer for not alerting other officers around him to the problems of the night and to the need for extra help. The Commissioner’s attitude appears to us in effect to be that as defective performance in this case could be placed squarely upon the duty charge officer, other officers and indeed the whole Ministry could be exonerated from blame or censure.

The Tafaigata Report was critical of the apparent low level of interest or concern shown by police command in getting to the bottom of things to ensure, among other things, that all personnel that ought to be held to account were so held.

Members of the public will recall that the death of another mentally unsettled person held at Tafaigata prison had created headlines in November 2011.

Action taken by police after the event discussed here, were simply the routine CID criminal investigation and a Professional Standards Unit (PSU) investigation. The latter focused on shortcomings in the actions within the cell block of the lowest ranked prison officers involved.

Disciplinary charges of negligent performance for leaving the cells unlocked were laid against the Senior Constable who was in charge and two duty constables. The two constables quickly pleaded guilty to the charges even though it was clear that leaving the cells unlocked in the particular cell block had been common practice. The two constables were dismissed. The senior constable team leader chose to defend the disciplinary charges against him. To date, these charges have not been heard by the Police Tribunal. No one else has been held to account for the tragic events of Christmas and Boxing Day 2012.

We quote the Tafaigata Report on some of the issues that were of concern to the Tafaigata Commission of Inquiry:

“An observable manifestation of the creeping abandonment of prisons by the Ministry over the years is the absence of any verifiable active interest by police command in prisons performance. Where there is little expectation of quality performance or even of the mere possibility of it, little performance in fact emerges.

Delegation is a vital factor to operational success in the Police. Over reliance on delegation appears to have been a downfall here.

The watch was commanded by a Senior Constable. Why was command left to such a low level officer? Why weren’t any of the senior ranks available to make decisions when the mental patient’s behaviour changed drastically later in the evening? The Superintendent who is 2nd in command of the prison resides in the compound. Why wasn’t his wisdom and experience brought to bear on the problem on the spot? In total perspective, what kind of a ‘ship’ was the chief gaoler running at Tafaigata? How could the pitiful cries of an ill, for all intents and purposes, totally trapped human being yearning aloud desperately for the comfort of his wife and children, not be heard in the midst of police power poised in readiness to keep the community safe?

Police command showed no interest in these questions after the event.”

The Commissioner explained to us that the prison is a noisy angry place. He also indicated that he had held consultations with the chief gaoler on the unfortunate tragedy.

We make the observation that had the Commissioner looked thoroughly into matters in a manner appropriate to the seriousness of events and given other quite recent deaths in prison; he would have discovered for one thing that the senior constable in charge that night had been doing two 24 hour duty stretches back to back. The death of the detained man occurred in the final minutes of the senior constable’s 48 hour continuous stretch of duty. It is arguable that it is unconscionable to press negligence charges against an employee who had been required to work continuously for so long.

These discoveries rightly should have focused attention on the senior constable’s superiors and should have caused the Commissioner to be curious about the management regime of the prison as a whole at the time. The fact that nothing of the sort happened reflects poorly on the Commissioner’s performance of his managerial duties as head of the Organization and must adversely affect the community’s confidence in him to perform the role of Commissioner of Police. When the

Commissioner does not move to properly assign blame to his senior subordinates the public tends, all the more, to blame him directly however physically remote he may have been to events.

Since the Tafaigata Inquiry, a murder charge has been heard and dismissed. There now exists a mystery seemingly for the police to resolve as to who did kill Hans Dalton in prison. There is also a multimillion Tala civil law suit pending against the Police and the Government. These must impact adversely on the community’s confidence in the police and in the Commissioner of Police not to mention potential impact on the public purse.

4.3 Costly Inaction/Derelict Accountability

The handling by Samoa Police of the deportation of an apparently well practiced rogue resulted in terrible publicity for Samoa and Court ordered payments amounting to $258,528.00 for police failures and mistreatment of a foreign person. The

Supreme Court judge who heard the matter commented that “had police performed their respective duties and admitted responsibility for negligence or defects of procedure or worse” Samoa would not have paid anything like the cost it incurred in both money and tarnished reputation.

The Supreme Court judge was referring to inaction, incompetence, dishonesty and heavy handedness among other faults displayed by police in the different stages of a drawn out saga that had begun on 26 August 2009. The episode dragged out over many months culminating in the ugly sight of Samoan police officers attempting to put the man who was trussed up hand and foot and gagged with tape on an early morning Air Pacific flight to Fiji on 20 January 2011.

In the end no one was penalized for defective police conduct that was brought to light or took responsibility for the poor handling of the entire matter by police. We were puzzled by the Commissioner’s mention of a deduction ordered from a junior officer’s salary to pay for the lost passport but was not implemented.

A 2012 Commission of Inquiry into the affair concluded that a certain police officer ought to have been charged for the loss of personal property involved in the case.
It was no longer possible to do this by the time of that Commission of Inquiry because of a provision in the Police Service Act 2009 preventing action of this kind that are not commenced within one (1) year of the cause of action.

The 2012 Commission noted that the Commissioner of Police only became aware of the full factual situation shortly before the expiration of the 1 year limitation period.
It is apparent that the Police itself had made no effort within police to determine fault in these matters either at the time of the events or even following the bringing of the civil suit against the Police.

We in this Commission of Inquiry wanted to know from Commissioner Lilomaiava how it was that these things had happened and had dragged on unresolved for so long; and how it was that there had been no significant move to ascertain what disciplinary actions might have been appropriate.

The Commissioner told us that he had no knowledge of the matters until the Prime Minister wrote to him.

The Tafaigata Report records that the Prime Minister wrote on 15 September 2010 expressing disgust at the treatment the unwelcome rogue had received at the hands of Samoa Police. The Prime Minister considered the treatment inappropriate and unChristian.

In our view it is grave indictment of the Commissioner and how he ran the police that he had to learn from the Prime Minister about a matter that had been going on for a year within police.

Factors given below suggest that the Commissioner of Police ought to have been fully aware and seized of matters from the very start. The fact that he did not know and was not so seized until the Prime Minister told him one year into the episode is a personal failure on his part or a failure of the Organization that he ran. Either way, it delivers a crippling blow to public confidence in both.

The foreigner individual at the centre of things was “a rogue and an undesirable immigrant to Samoa”. A judge of the District Court had declared this on 15 September 2010 confirming, no doubt, a view that the police itself must have held before the man was ever brought anywhere near the judge. This “undesirable rogue” was loose in Samoa. He was unable to leave Samoa. He was unable to leave Samoa because of the police. None other than the Samoa Police had lost his passport to say nothing of other personal valuables the man claimed to have disappeared along with it.

Another quite separate serious aspect highlighted by events of this case and of another case also noted in the Tafaigata Report is the fate of private property temporarily taken into police custody in police work. The Tafaigata Commission of Inquiry was left in little doubt that police officers help themselves on occasions to personal property of the citizenry while such property is in police custody. The 2012 Commission of Inquiry mentioned above was informed by police of a new policy that had been put in place that supposedly would address this problem. The focus of this policy as far as this Commission can see is however really on the handling of “exhibits” which is a different issue of concern.

This Commission of Inquiry takes the view that citizens should be able to take it for granted that personal property temporarily taken into police custody would be safely returned. It is shocking that the Samoa Police after all these years of existence is in no position today to claim any semblance of such public confidence. This situation shatters general community confidence in the police and in the ability or genuine willingness of incumbent leadership to change the prevailing grim state of affairs.

4.4 Professional Standards Unit Investigations

The Tafaigata Commission of Inquiry recorded clear dissatisfaction with the performance of the PSU in investigating complaints about police conduct from members of the public.

The Commissioner confirmed that there had been shortcomings. Reviews undertaken by the Ombudsman’s Office had highlighted a trend to delay matters to give time to police officers involved to work on complainants to withdraw their complaints. The Commissioner told the Commission that he had personally acted promptly to remedy the cases pointed out and to condemn the practice.

The Ombudsman informed the Commission of Inquiry that the Commissioner was truthful in his evidence on this matter.
4.5 Loose Monies

The ‘ in prison’ economy generates the “turn in” which is a kind of voluntary tax on revenue earned from approved prisoner activities. This money and any other funds received by the prison community which supposedly do not form part of ordinary Government budget accounting are kept by the chief gaoler. It has not been Tafaigata practice to submit these funds or its records for auditing by the Government auditors.

The Bank Savings account book for “prison community funds” (Ola Toe Fuata’iina) is kept by the chief gaoler who is a signatory together with the Commissioner of Police of the account.

The Tafaigata Commission of Inquiry was unable for lack of time and expertise to ascertain whether or not there had been impropriety in the handling of these funds. The Commission noted curiously that there had only been one withdrawal from the account in one whole year. Transactions apparently had been on a cash basis. A search by the Tafaigata Commission of Inquiry recorded an amount of over $11,000 in cash in a strong safe located in the Assistant Commissioner’s office.

The Commissioner of Police was unable to throw any further light on this matter to our Commission of Inquiry beyond repeating the surprise on the lack of account activity that he had expressed to the Assistant Commissioner, when he was asked to cosign the one withdrawal referred to above. He instructed the Assistant Commissioner at that time to bank all monies. His instruction was obviously not carried out.

4.6 Perceived Favoured Treatment

Prisoners had pointed to the treatment of a prisoner who was not imprisoned in a cell but placed in a house located in the prison compound. Criticism of this had been reported in newspaper articles in May 2011. The Commissioner, responding to the press at the time explained that this was done on medical grounds. He reiterated this to the Tafaigata Commission of Inquiry. This same prisoner was later allowed by Court Order to proceed to New Zealand to have a medical check-up that had been planned for him prior to his sentencing. The prisoner during his incarceration was reportedly able to readily entertain visits by his wife and family in the house allocated to him.

Other senior prison officers when questioned by the Tafaigata Commission of Inquiry professed no involvement in the special placement of the prisoner and appeared to have no special knowledge of the reasons for it apart from the assumed existence of medical need.

The Commissioner explained once again to us that his decision to treat the prisoner differently was made on humanitarian grounds because of medical need.

We explained that the Tafaigata Commission had understood the explanation perfectly well but that when it asked for documentary evidence of the medical need this had not been forthcoming. That Commission found nothing in the file given it resembling a medical request for special treatment or to indicate that the prisoner’s medical condition was unique to him within the inmate population.

No additional documentation on this matter was presented to this Commission of Inquiry.

4.7 Speedy Promotion

The Tafaigata Report gives details of the recruitment and fast promotion of a policewoman in the Samoa Police. This story was thrust unprompted upon the Tafaigata Inquiry by the woman police officer herself who had been called on a totally different matter.

It was an interesting story in that everything about the officer’s recruitment into the uniformed police and promotion up the police ranks was unconventional.

The only thing that appeared regular was her appointment to the job of senior planning and policy officer in September 2011. This job was advertised as a non sworn civilian position but was reportedly classified as equivalent to senior sergeant level for appointees qualified to hold that rank.

The police officer in question was appointed in proper fashion on the second advertising of the position. She was a constable at the time. Shortly afterwards she was confirmed as a senior sergeant in a promotion parade. As the Tafaigata

Report points out, she had shot up three ranks in one step without sitting a single qualifying examination for higher rank as normally required for promotion up the ranks.
In this Commission of Inquiry we pointed out to the Commissioner that it was the latter aspect, done by his authority as Commissioner that is of interest in looking at his performance of the role.

4.8 Drinking at Tafaigata

The Tafaigata Commission of Inquiry concluded with ease from evidence gathered that in spite of a supposedly strict total ban applying to all prison establishments, officers drank alcohol with impunity at Tafaigata.

The Report records the frank admission of the Superintendent and 2nd in command of the prison that he drank several bottles of beer each day.

He testified under oath that he had been given permission by the Commissioner to do this. The Commissioner did not have the opportunity to cross examine the Superintendent but when this evidence was put later to the Commissioner he denied giving such permission.

This matter was put again to the Commissioner during this Inquiry. Explaining simply that it was absolutely forbidden for anyone to drink alcohol in prison precincts, the Commissioner denied giving anybody permission to drink at Tafaigata. He did not request to have the Superintendent called before us.

We have the unhappy situation of two very senior officers of Samoa Police, one of them the Commissioner, giving diametrically opposing evidence under oath. One or the other of them, had to be lying and thereby perjuring himself. This reflects badly on the police that is under the control of Commissioner Lilomaiava even if he is the one that is not lying.

This and the habitual consumption of alcohol on prison premises by police officers including a very senior officer, as uncovered by the Tafaigata Inquiry, must impact adversely on public confidence in the Police and in the Commissioner who is supposed to ensure enforcement of the strict ban.

4.9 Allegations of Improper Interaction

The Tafaigata Report addresses allegations by a female prisoner of improper physical contact during a “fofo” (curative massage) she was giving a prison officer. The Tafaigata Commission of Inquiry did not believe the specific allegations but did accept that a fofo of the officer’s legs had taken place. The Report records the Commission’s censure of this concluding that at the least the officer concerned had exercised poor judgment in allowing himself to be with a female inmate in circumstances which had high potential of impacting adversely upon the reputation of the Police Service.

The Commission was of the view that disciplinary action should have been instituted against the officer given section 22 of the Prisons Act, requiring female inmates to be imprisoned “in such manner, as far as practicable as to prevent any female seeing, conversing or holding an interview with a male.”

We wanted to know of the Commissioner why disciplinary action was not taken.

The Commissioner pleaded insufficient time to take such steps because of his suspension for the Tafaigata Inquiry.

We note from the record that the Commissioner was aware of this matter on 10 June 2013 when he received a complaint from a prison officer in which this and other matters were raised. A separate PSU investigation of the alleged “fofo” incident was apparently also ongoing because of the “ghost letter” allegations. The senior police officer concerned confirmed in a letter dated 15 July 2013 addressed to the Commissioner that “fofo” sessions had taken place. The

Commissioner was suspended on 22 August 2013. We do not accept the Commissioner’s explanation that he had not had enough time to deal with the matter.

When the Commissioner condones conduct that should not be tolerated in the police he takes that conduct upon himself as his own.

5. THE COMMISSIONER

Lilomaiava, we gather is of the view that he should not be affected by the events recounted in the Tafaigata Report and the adverse conclusions contained therein concerning the police or members of the police. He obviously considers himself a dedicated policeman who has responded properly to the situations he had been confronted with and has provided reasonable explanations to both Commissions of Inquiry for his actions in the matters covered in the Report.
We do not doubt that Lilomaiava is a dedicated policeman who can be proud of his service in the police. The focus of this exercise is however not on Lilomaiava the policeman but on Lilomaiava the Commissioner of Police. We are required simply to assess whether in the matters covered by the Tafaigata Report there has been poor performance of the Commissioner’s functions and duties by Lilomaiava and/or whether Lilomaiava has behaved in a manner likely to affect the confidence of the community in his ability to perform the Commissioner’s role.

6. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION

We conclude that there have been acts and/or failures to act by Lilomaiava Fou Taioalo amounting to performance that is below the standard that reasonably must be expected from the Commissioner of Police in the performance of his duties and responsibilities.

We conclude that as reflected in the Report of the Tafaigata Commission of Inquiry and as further explored in this Commission of Inquiry, Lilomaiava Fou Taioalo has behaved in a manner likely to adversely affect the confidence of the community in his ability to perform his role as the Commissioner of Police.
In view of the foregoing we recommend that Lilomaiava Fou Taioalo no longer serve as Commissioner of Police.

7. OTHER MATTERS
We thank Counsels Sine Lafaialii Koria and Sefo Ainuu for assisting the Commission of Inquiry.

Maiava Iulai Toma
Chairman
Su’a Tanielu Su’a
Member
Gatoloai Tili Afamasaga
Member

“We were hearing the farmers say how about my cocoa, how about my chilli, and how about my lemongrass? So we have come up with a tea company that showcases these products, enables farmers on a small scale to be able to trade with us…”

New Zealand’s largest café has launched a boutique tea company at a global United Nation’s meeting as a result of listening to organic farmers in Samoa.

C1Espresso launched the Golden Panther Tea Company during the United Nation’s Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States in Apia, Samoa.

Owner Sam Crofskey told an audience, which included Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi and Andre Leu, president of the International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements, that when he started listening to farmers, he came up with products that added value and resilience to their farms.

“We were hearing the farmers say how about my cocoa, how about my chilli, and how about my lemongrass?” he said.

“So we have come up with a tea company that showcases these products, enables farmers on a small scale to be able to trade with us and showcases their products in a high-quality manner.”

C1Espresso, based in Christchurch, has been working with Women in Business Development in Samoa for five years, concentrating on coffee and more recently Koko Samoa, a 100per cent cacao bean product.

The tea ingredients from Samoa include dried hibiscus flowers, lemongrass, chilli, mango, ginger, coffee cherry, coconut and pineapple. It will be sold in collectible matchboxes that offer two servings – one for drinking in the café and one for later.

Women in Business Development associate director, Alberta Vitale, says C1Espresso is that special partner that is interested in developing people through providing trade that supports families staying together and farming organically.

“Just like our fair trade partner, The Body Shop, C1Espresso have similar values to Women in Business Development around empowering small family farms to realize their entrepreneurial potential. Because of this, we know we will have a long-lasting relationship.”

Vitale says when she told Crofskey the organisation was going to run an organic kiosk at the conference, he immediately said he was coming to help. “Then we were fortunate to be given the opportunity to launch the Golden Panther Tea Company at the Organic Islands event.”

Croskey says that initially organic status for him was connected to marketing. “Over time, what we have realized is that organics is really important to us."

“When we lost our coffee shop, our city and our home in the Christchurch earthquakes, we had an opportunity to reinvent our business and we have put the story of Samoa and the lessons we have learned here at the heart of our business.”

The café has organic vegetable gardens in front of its premises in central Christchurch. It also sources its milk from its nomadic dairy herd that feeds on organic pastures.

“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”

Samoan teenagers aged 13-15 are among the most bullied and most violent youth in East Asia and the Pacific, says the United Nations Children’s Fund (U.N.I.C.E.F.).

A report released this month by the Agency, titled "Hidden In Plain Sight: A statistical analysis of violence against children," reveals that almost three quarters of Samoan youth have experienced bullying, while more than two thirds have reported being in a physical fight.

The report, written by the Agency’s Division of Data, Research and Policy, is based on data collected through the Global School-based Student Health Surveys (G.S.H.S.) and the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Study (H.B.S.C.).

In regards to bullying, while Samoan youth may suffer the most at the hands of bullies, U.N.I.C.E.F. acknowledges this form of violence is a global problem.

“It exists at some level and in some form in every country,” the report reads.

Available data from 106 countries collected through the H.B.S.C. and G.S.H.S. show that the proportions of adolescents aged 13 to 15 who say they have recently experienced bullying ranges from 7 per cent in Tajikistan to 74 per cent in Samoa.

In 14 of the 67 low and middle income countries with available data, more than half of the student population said they recently experienced bullying.

These adolescents come from diverse parts of the world, from small Pacific Islands such as Vanuatu to large African nations including Kenya.

Not only are Samoan youth the most bullied, they are also the most group in the survey to get into fights – with almost 70 per cent of adolescents reporting being in a recent physical fight (see figure 6.3C right).

“Available data from a large cross-section of countries reveals that fighting among adolescents is a common occurrence,” the report reads.

More than half of adolescents reported involvement in a physical fight in countries as diverse as Djibouti, Mauritania, Samoa and Yemen.

Anywhere from 14 per cent of adolescents aged 13 to 15 in Cambodia to 68 per cent in Samoa reported engaging in a physical fight in the past 12 months.

It should be noted that U.N.I.C.E.F acknowledged that data needs for the report were often not met, with the quality and scope of research often limited and varying from country to country.

“While acknowledging these limitations, this report makes use of available evidence to describe what is currently known about global patterns of violence against children, using data compiled from a selection of sources,” U.N.I.C.E.F. reports.

“The analyses focus primarily on forms of interpersonal violence, defined as violent acts inflicted on children by another individual or a small group.

The types of interpersonal violence covered include those mainly committed by caregivers and other family members, authority figures, peers and strangers, both within and outside the home.

In its assessment of the available data, the Agency defines physical violence against children all corporal punishment.

“And all other forms of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment as well as physical bullying and hazing by adults or by other children,” it reads.

‘Corporal’ (or ‘physical’) punishment is defined as any punishment in which physical force is used and intended to cause some degree of pain or discomfort, however light.

“Most involves hitting - smacking, slapping, spanking - children with the hand or with an implement (such as) a whip, stick, belt, shoe (or) wooden spoon."

“But it can also involve, for example, kicking, shaking or throwing children, scratching, pinching, biting, pulling hair or boxing ears, caning, forcing children to stay in uncomfortable positions, burning, scalding or forced ingestion.”

U.N.I.C.E.F. did issue a word of caution in defining such violence saying while specific forms of violence have a distinctive nature and can occur in isolation, any attempt to ‘categorise’ violence is a somewhat artificial undertaking.

“For one thing, the boundaries between acts of violence tend to become blurred,” the report reads.

“Sexual violence is often inflicted through the use of physical force and/or psychological intimidation. Moreover, experiences of violence often overlap."

“While some children may experience rare and isolated incidents of aggression, others may find themselves repeatedly exposed to multiple forms of abuse."

“In addition to the possible overlap of various types of violence, children can be victims, perpetrators and witnesses to violence – all at the same time.”

The Agency also states the protection of children from all forms of violence is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Convention on the rights of the Child and other international human rights treaties and standards.

“Yet violence remains an all-too-real part of life for children around the globe – regardless of their economic and social circumstances, culture, religion or ethnicity – with both immediate and long-term consequences,” it says.

“Children who have been severely abused or neglected are often hampered in their development, experience learning difficulties and perform poorly at school."

“They may have low self-esteem and suffer from depression, which can lead, at worst, to risky behaviours and self-harm.”

U.N.I.C.E.F. says witnessing violence can cause similar distress.

“Children who grow up in a violent household or community tend to internalise that behaviour as a way of resolving disputes, repeating the pattern of violence and abuse against their own spouses and children,” the report reads.

Beyond the tragic effects on individuals and families, violence against children carries serious economic and social costs in both lost potential and reduced productivity.

Over the last decade, recognition of the pervasive nature and impact of violence against children has grown.

Still, the Agency reports, the phenomenon remains largely undocumented and underreported.

“This can be attributed to a variety of reasons, including the fact that some forms of violence against children are socially accepted, tacitly condoned or not perceived as being abusive,” it says.

“Many victims are too young or too vulnerable to disclose their experience or to protect themselves."

“And all too often when victims do denounce an abuse, the legal system fails to respond and child protection services are unavailable."

“The lack of adequate data on the issue is likely compounding the problem by fuelling the misconception that violence remains a marginal phenomenon, affecting only certain categories of children and perpetrated solely by offenders with biological predispositions to violent behaviour.”

Looking now to the violence that most afflicts Samoa’s youth – bullying - U.N.I.C.E.F. says this type of violence refers to the use of aggression to assert power over another person.

“More specifically, it has been defined by researchers as actions, either physical or verbal, that have a hostile intent, are repeated over time, cause distress for the victim and involve a power imbalance between the perpetrator and victim,” the report reads.

As social dynamics have shifted over time, and with the growing use of information and communication technologies such as the Internet and cell phones, children are increasingly exposed to new forms of bullying.

A growing body of literature examines the prevalence, risk factors and impact of bullying on both victims and perpetrators.

However, much of the available evidence is derived from research conducted in the Western world.

The Agency says while research into the individual risk factors that lead to bullying has highlighted a variety of possible causes, a few factors have consistently been found to predict the likelihood that an adolescent or younger child will bully others.

“Those who have been maltreated by caregivers are significantly more likely to bully others, particularly those who have experienced physical or sexual abuse,” the report reads.

Witnessing parental physical abuse or domestic violence has also been documented as a strong risk factor for bullying.

In addition, research has identified hyperactivity-impulsiveness, low self-control and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as strong predictors of bullying.

“Children who bully tend to have weak inhibitions against aggression and are significantly more likely than victims of bullying to exhibit anger.”

U.N.I.C.E.F. says some research suggests that boys are more likely to bully others than girls and are more likely to use physical violence and threats.

“Girls, on the other hand, seem more prone to psychological/relational forms of bullying, which involve actions such as excluding others or spreading rumours,” it says.

For instance, in a national survey in Malta, researchers found that 61 per cent of boy bullies reported bullying others with physical violence, compared to 30 per cent of girl bullies.

In contrast, 43 per cent of girl bullies reported isolating others (not talking to them), compared to 26 per cent of boy bullies.

The Agency says many individual risk factors for being bullied have also been identified.

“Children who are bullied are often marginalized by their peers for a wide variety of reasons," it says.

“Risk factors include not having many friends, particularly those who can be trusted, and loneliness."

“Particular groups of children, such as ethnic minorities and those with disabilities, can be especially vulnerable to bullying."

“Teenagers may also be targeted because of their sexual orientation."

“For example, one study in the United Kingdom found that between 30 and 50 per cent of adolescents in secondary schools who were attracted to the same sex experienced homophobic bullying.”

The report says research highlights a wide range of negative long-term outcomes of bullying on both victims and perpetrators.

“Children who are bullied are likely to experience a range of negative psychological outcomes, including depression, anxiety, thoughts of suicide and low life satisfaction,” the report reads.

“Across multiple ethnic groups, being bullied by peers has also been connected to a heightened risk of eating disorders and to social and relationship difficulties, such as loneliness and being socially withdrawn."

Furthermore, students who are bullied are more likely to experience academic difficulties, including underachievement, lower attendance and dropping out, among others.

“The social, emotional and psychological effects of bullying can be severe and can persist throughout childhood into adulthood.”

On the other hand, U.N.I.C.E.F. says numerous studies have also found a strong relationship between bullying others, increased depressive symptoms and thoughts of suicide.

“Bullying has been linked to future engagement in juvenile delinquency, including theft and robberies, vandalism, arson, physical attacks, gang involvement and the selling of drugs,” the report reads.

“Children who bully others also report increased rates of risky behaviours, including smoking and drinking, fighting, being injured in physical fights and carrying weapons.”

Looking now to another problem area for Samoa, fighting.

“Fighting generally involves conflict between two or more persons in which the distinction between perpetrators and victims is not always clear-cut,” U.N.I.C.E.F. reports.

“In some instances, both parties may have instigated or chosen to participate in the fight, while in others, one person may be fighting back in self-defence.

The literature on the subject suggests that children who are involved in fighting are more likely than those who are not to report a lack of perceived parental support in relation to school.

“They also report greater difficulties establishing close peer relationships, poor emotional health, less parental supervision, feelings of alienation from school and low academic success.”

If you would like to read the report in full please visit http://www.unicef.org/publications/index_74865.html.

“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 - Samoa is the latest country to successfully develop a new trochus (Tectus niloticus) fishery.

On learning of the successful introduction of the species in Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Cook Islands and French Polynesia, Samoa began its effort to introduce the species in the 1990s.

Despite some initial losses, introductions in 2003 and 2006 of stocks from Fiji and Vanuatu have succeeded.

Assessments conducted by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Samoa Fisheries Division in June 2014, led by SPC Fisheries Scientist Kalo Pakoa, recovered good numbers of live shells on the reefs of Upolu Island from

Fagaloa Bay in the south all the way to Manono in the north.

Trochus is valued for its meat and its shell, which is used to make buttons, jewelry and handicrafts. In countries such as Fiji, Vanuatu,

Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea, there are factories that process trochus shells for export, handling around 100 to 200 tonnes annually.

The main markets for these products are Italy, Korea and Japan.

Its meat is a source of protein for the coastal people and it can also be sold at the local market. Because of the demand, stocks have been heavily fished in many of its natural locations, and translocation of wild stocks has been an effective management option.

Trochus is one of the most mobilised wild marine stocks in the Pacific Islands region. Since the 1920s over 100 wild stock translocations and introductions have been made between reefs, islands and countries to locations where original stocks have been overexploited and to new reefs in islands and countries wanting to develop the resource.

The ability of the shellfish to survive a few days out of water makes it possible to transport trochus over long distances from source locations by road, sea and air.

To date, concerns about the introduction of the species in the Pacific Islands have been minimal, and the species continues to be moved around today.

While the resource is yet to be fully developed in Samoa, a new trochus fishery has emerged. Since 2009, harvesting of trochus has become a new coastal fisheries activity for the people of Upolu Island.

The meat, eaten at home or sold at roadside markets, is consumed raw in sea water mixed with other invertebrates and is sold in bottles at $15 to $25 per bottle for small to large bottles.

Landed quantities of meat for 2009 and 2010 were 410 kg and 764 kg. The shells are not being utilised at this stage; making use of the shell could double or triple the current value of the shellfish.

Now that the resource had established, the next step is to put in place management measures to allow the resource to fully develop and fishing activities to be sustainable. SPC is working with Samoa Fisheries Division to develop a new trochus fishery management plan.

This work is supported by the European Union-funded SciCOFish (Scientific Support for the Management of Oceanic Fisheries in the Pacific Islands Region) project.

“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”

Pacific Periscope - Established in 1988, the Samoa International Finance Authority (S.I.F.A) (previously known as Samoa Offshore Centre) is a statutory corporation engaged in rendering a range of financial services to offshore entities in accordance with international guidelines.

These include licensing of offshore banks and insurance companies as well as registering entities such as companies – and now trusts, following the recently legislated Trusts Act in April.

The Authority, governed by a reconstituted board of seven directors, performs a regulatory and supervisory function while promoting financial facilities in exploring ways to attract business to Samoa as an efficiently working international finance centre conforming to stringent international norms and standards. It’s facility to register companies with memoranda in Mandarin makes it popular with Asian business houses, particularly from Hong Kong, Singapore and China.

S.I.F.A has had its fair share of problems. It was “grey listed” in 2009 and needed to adhere to new standards set by organisations like the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) and Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering.

“It took eight months to come back on the white list after having signed 12 tax information exchange agreements. Each country had a separate one including 7 Nordic states,” says Chief Executive, Erna Va’ai, who has been in the role since 1992.

That number now stands at 15. Samoa was the first in the Pacific Island jurisdiction to comply with the new standards in December 2009 joining the UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand among other jurisdictions on the OECD White List.

“With the new standards, SIFA has had a relook at core strengths, embraced innovations and looked at new ways of doing things,” Ms.

Va’ai says. “Compliance is now of an international standard with commercial realities balanced. Credibility of the jurisdiction has been established.” New standards take on board not only issues of money laundering but also the financing of terrorist organisations, those relating to suspect electronic transactions and proceeds of crime, among others.

S.I.F.A has some 34,000 entities registered with it. Nearly 4000 are added each year translating into a 10 per cent growth (there is a reasonable rate of attrition, too). Asia is obviously a major source of business.

“Memoranda in Mandarin, Samoa’s embassy in Beijing and the Manu Samoa Sevens roadshows have all helped increase S.I.F.A’s popularity in the Chinese market,” Ms. Va’ai says.

Samoa’s Offshore Trusts Act passed in April this year permits the registration of offshore trusts. The laws apply to local trusts as well.

S.I.F.A has hired a Hong Kong law firm to provide local training to administrators and accountants. Offering wealth management solutions is also on the cards, Ms. Va’ai said.

“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”

Yet another case of a baby with a swollen head has emerged, adding to the growing number of these cases in Samoa during the past few months.

This time, mother, Toe Uati, of Vailima, is concerned about the life of her three-month-old son, Jacob Timothy Ropati.

Since birth, the growth on Jacob’s head has been hard to ignore for his family.

In June, Ms. Uati told the Samoa Observer the circumference of her son’s head was 35cm.
Today, it is 45cm.

The concerned mother says Jacob had a growth on the side of his head when he was born. At the time, she was informed by the staff at the Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital that it would return to normal.
It has not..

“I want to know if my child can be operated on and how old he should be to be able to receive treatment or have surgery done on him,” she told the Samoa Observer.

Asked if she had been working with the hospital, she said yes.

“It’s been three months,” she said. “I have been going back and forth to see the surgeons at the hospital and they told me that my son has to have a scan to determine what is causing the growth.

“Up until now, no scan has been done on my son because the surgeons told me that the hospital scanner is broken.”

Attempts to get a comment from the Ministry of Health were unsuccessful.

The Secretary of the Director General said Leausa Dr. Take Naseri was in a meeting.

For Ms. Uati though, she is not sitting around.

She has already asked the Samoa Victim Support Group for help.

“I came here for help because I want my son to be taken overseas to see why this is happening before its too late.”

President of S.V.S.G, Lina Chang, admitted that from their experience, the condition is quite common in Samoa.

She wonders if the Ministry of Health should conduct a research to find out why this is happening.

“We wonder if it happens from inside the mother’s womb or if it’s God’s doing?” said Mrs. Chang.

“We don’t have the wisdom and the knowledge however all we can do is to give them help in not giving up in caring for their child.

We would love to do some awareness programmes on this disease however we don’t know what it is.

Parents are panicking and walking into our office and we are also panicking because we don’t know anything about this.

We don’t know what to do so there is no real help for these people.”

Earlier this week, the Samoa Observer featured another story about a 10-month-old baby with the same condition.

Meri Miracle’s grandmother, Puava Lameta, says the family is looking at taking her overseas for medical treatment as soon as possible.

Last year, another baby suffering from the same ailment died.

“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”

Wellington Mission breached contract – Chief Auditor finds

Fuimaono makes the point in his 2011 report to the Legislative Assembly, where he assessed two overseas missions – the Wellington High Commission and the Office of the Consulate General in American Samoa.

With regards to the Wellington assessment, the breach was discovered when the Audit Office noted some payroll payment issues.

“Such as salary increments and bonus for the office driver not in accordance with employment contract,” the report reads.

“(Also) there were some expenditure accounts with actual spending exceeding the budget allocation.

“(And) the Fixed Asset Register was incomplete and not updated.”

The High Commission took the time to address these issues.

“The Mission does not have a budget for servicing visas as well as overall Ministry requests concerned using Mission funds,” the Office in question responded.

“These receipts or deposits are for reimbursements of mission funds spent for telephone, courier and other related costs.

“(We) agree to a proper stock take to reflect all current assets, consumables and written-off assets to date.

“Please refer to M.F.A.T. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade) for further clarification/comments.”

Looking now to the audit of the American Samoan Consulate, Fuimaono reports that it lost money in the financial year ending 2009.

For the 2010 financial year, the Chief Auditor says the Office’s revenue exceeded its expenditure.

The report is republished in full below:

Government Overseas Mission

Office of the Consulate General – American Samoa

Period covered by audit: 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2010

Summary of audit findings:

During the two financial years under audit, total expenditure incurred for the operations of the Office were $564,722 in 2009 and $416,083 in 2010.

Revenue collected during the period under audit were USD160,880 (SAT$432,357) in 2009 and USD217,058 (SAT$685,374) in 2010.

Samoa High Commission Office – Wellington

Period covered by audit: 1 July 2009 to 30 June 2010

Summary of audit findings:

1. There were some expenditure accounts with actual spending exceeding the budget allocation;

2. The Fixed Asset Register was incomplete and not updated;

3. There were some payroll payments issues such as salary increments and bonus for office driver not in accordance with employment contract.

4. The High Commission responded as follows:

- The Mission does not have a budget for servicing visas as well as overall Ministry requests concerned using Mission funds. These receipts or deposits are for reimbursements of mission funds spent for telephone, courier and other related costs.

- Agree to a proper stock take to reflect all current assets, consumables and written-off assets to date

- Please refer to MFAT for further clarification/comments.

“We want to travel the world while we still can and so this trip is very important to us. You have a wonderful country and we are delighted to be here.”

A cruise ship from Honolulu brought rain and a much-needed cash injection to tourism coffers yesterday when it arrived in Apia.

After spending a day in American Samoa, the Rhapsody of the Seas cruise ship brought more than 2,000 passengers and 800 crewmembers.

Among them were Brian and wife Kate Maurer from Sydney Australia. Yesterday was their first time in Samoa.

“It’s such a lovely country and I am very happy that I am able to see this part of the world,” Kate told the Samoa Observer.

“We are from Sydney and we flew to Hawaii to catch this cruise ship and it was an opportunity that we weren’t going to miss for the world.”

For the Maurers, they have a lot to celebrate.

“Well my wife is 65 years old and I’m 70 so in this age, it’s important because we are retired.

“We want to travel the world while we still can and so this trip is very important to us. You have a wonderful country and we are delighted to be here.”

In Apia, the Maurers joined other passengers on tours around Upolu, visiting some landmarks and buying souvenirs and gifts.

“We have been working all our lives to look after our families and our children and so now it’s our children’s turn to look after us while we sit back and relax,” said Brian.

“Life is too short to be stressed and worry about so many things especially in our age so we should just enjoy life while we still can.”

The cruise ship left Samoa last night, heading for Suva, Fiji and then head to Australia.

“The driver was speeding and then he ran the red lights. If drivers learn to have respect for the road rules, there shouldn't be any accidents”

Families living near the Vaimea intersection, where a car crash during the weekend hospitalised a woman, are calling on motorists to exercise caution and show some respect.

Mother Leaso Latulipe says far too many drivers show no signs of respect for people nearby when they speed through red lights, driving like madmen, making ridiculous noises at all sorts of hours of the night.

An example of this happened last Thursday night.

Leaso said a driver, “who was not only drunk but was speeding dangerously,” ran a red light and crashed into two other vehicles.

The crash hospitalised the driver of a Getz vehicle who had the right of way. The third vehicle was a Toyota Camry.

The 27-year-old driver has since been charged with drunk driving. He is expected to appear sometime next week in Court to answer to the charge.

Meantime, Leaso fears for the safety of her family.

Their property is at the corner where the traffic lights are located.

“When the accident happened, it sounded like our house was hit,” she said. “The noise was like a loud bang inside our house.”

She said the noise made by the collision was thunderous.

“The driver was speeding and then he ran the red lights,” she said. “If drivers learn to have respect for the road rules, there shouldn't be any accidents.

“But I’ve witnessed many accidents in this part of the road because some drivers have no respect for road rules.

“These crashes happen because people run the red lights just like the driver that caused that crash that night.”

Sani Latulipe said the collision happened at 10:30p.m.

“I felt sorry for the woman in the red Getz because she was innocent. She was rushed to hospital after the accident.”

“The driver in the Suzuki was in the wrong because the woman who drove the Getz was driving through the green lights.”

The Police arrived immediately and took the driver of the Suzuki vehicle.

“All we are asking is for drivers to be considerate,” said Leaso, adding that there are drunk drivers who stop at the lights and blast their music at all sorts of hours.

She said these motorists should try and put themselves in their shoes.

“We’ve got families and we also want to rest,” she said. “This sort of carrying on should not happen if people learn to respect each other.”

“I’d like to work behind a bar but I just want a job, any kind of job and I need a qualification” - Titania

With jobs as the heart and focus of their programmes, 17 students at the Martin Hautus Institute (M.H.I.) will put into practice the theory learned over the past six months of their year-long course.

On Friday and Saturday from 7 to 11pm, students will take turns serving the public at the M.H.I. Café and Bar, named ‘Tui’s Hut’.

As well as Tui’s Hut, the Institute at Tiapapata off Cross Island Road consists of Samoan-style fales which include an office, classrooms, a computer centre and accommodation.

“We will be serving light meals and have a liquor license for bar service,” said co Founder and Director, Maretta Solomon.

“They will work under the watchful eyes of their tutors, Fa’amanuia Vaeono and Christina Silva.

“We are preparing our students to take part in work experience in hotels, restaurants and cafes during the latter part of this year.”

“It’s real skills for the real world,” she said of the programme.

M.H.I.’s point of difference is that they incorporate a strong work experience component into their programme with a view to employment at the successful completion of their certificates or diplomas.

It is this factor which convinced 20 year old student Pepetonga Osana from Falelatiu to enrol.

Pepe has already got some work history after employment at the Orator Hotel as well as a stint as an aircraft cleaner Faleolo.

However she said she has realized there are a lot more things she needs to learn.

“I want to continue on with my education. Tourism is one of the biggest industries throughout the world and while providing good customer service is one of the key skills, I didn’t realize you also need to know about health and safety.”

“I know that I need that paper, that qualification.”

“What I have learned here is that you need to make people welcome so that they feel as comfortable as they would in their own homes.”

“Titania is really good at that,” she said about her fellow student, Titania Saega.

“He has a great smile which makes people forget their troubles.“

Seventeen year old Titania who came straight from Maluafou College is also aware of the importance of training and acquiring skills.

“I’d like to work behind a bar but I just want a job, any kind of job and for that, I need a qualification,” he said.

The Martin Hautus Institute (M.H.I.), the Pacific Peoples Learning Institute, was first established in New Zealand by Pulotu Arthur and Maretta Solomon in 1990, who saw the divide in education for school leavers (who did not gain university entrance) and also mature learners.

Earlier this year, they set up M.H.I. Samoa at Tiapapata .

While some of their students have outside jobs, the majority are not yet employed.

“We have been talking to owners of tourism and hospitality establishments and one suggested our students should actually apply for work experience telling us why they want to work at our particular business,” said Maretta.

“It’s all part of what is really involved in getting a job.”

During work experience, the students are not paid but some employers provide a bus allowance and meals.

“If students impress during work experience, when they complete their qualification, they may be offered a job.”

Tui’s Hut can comfortably cater for 50 and will offer the general public a different special each night as well as a selection of light snacks and beverages.

The Media and Communication Department under the Faculty of Arts of the National University of Samoa has launched a production of workbook and audio materials compiled to improve basic literacy and numeracy in trade courses.

The materials will be a resource tool for trade programmes in developing countries within the boundaries of the Commonwealth of Learning (C.O.L).

The launch culminated the three-day meeting held at the University campus

The package includes a student workbook, a teacher’s guidebook and audio materials produced by the Media and Communication Department staff along with the technical assistance of the N.U.S Multimedia Division.

The production aims to make learning easier, by teaching basic English grammar as well as basic numeric activities.

“It’s not just pronunciation and saying words right, it’s the basic grammar in English and the use of basic math equations, such as subtraction, addition and other basic skills,” said Vaitu’utu’u Toimoana Sasa’e, a Communication Lecturer.

The Deputy Vice Chancellor, Letuimanu’asina Dr. Emma Kruse-Va’ai and the Dean of Faculty of Arts, Lafaitele Fualuga Taupi were the main supporters of the production.

The recording was done by the Multimedia Division.

The initiative came from COL and was given to NUS for production.

Head of Department, Nora Daep-Tumua said that this was the success of teamwork.

“Although it took us time to work on the student’s workbook and the audio material, this was on top of our teaching and studying loads, limited resources, families and other commitments,” said Tumua.

The meeting ended today.

“I think people want cheaper fish but they don’t know that fishing is very difficult. So when people stop and yell out that our fish is too expensive, we find that hard to take because it’s not easy catching fish”

Look beyond the picture perfect post card images of Samoa as a tourism destination with idyllic beaches and illustrious greenery; there are real people living with real challenges.

And problems are aplenty. They range from the lack of incomes, high unemployment to children who are forced on the streets to sell whatever they can so they can provide for their families.

Among them is a young woman, Lusia, from Toamua. She has not been able to find a job to support her family. So to make money, she sells green coconuts on the side of the road.

“This helps our family a lot especially with my siblings’ school fees and other commitments,” she said.

Asked if she felt ashamed about not being able to find a job, she said while she is disappointed, she does not regret her life.

“It is not a problem because we [family] have been doing this for a very long time and we still make a living from it.”

On a good week, Lusia says they make about $100. The money disappears quickly as there are bills to pay with family, church and village obligations to fulfil.

“For us, this is our bread and butter,” she said. “It is the only hope we have to make some money.”

Lusia said she would be lying if she did not want a job.

“But the other issue is that I want a job that pays well,” she said. “A lot of the jobs don’t pay that well so that you might as well stay home.”

A few hundred metres down the road from where Lusia is, two young men are selling strings of fish for $30 per bundle.

They have come all the way from Manono and by the time the Samoa Observer reached them, it was near time to go home.

“We have to sell these, especially because the last bus should be on its way soon,” said Tala. “It’s either we sell them or we don’t have any money.”

The men have spent the night and the best part of the morning fishing. They look exhausted but they are not going home until they find some cash for their families.

“I think people want cheaper fish but they don’t know that fishing is very difficult,” said the other fisherman.

“You could easily drown if you don’t know what you’re doing."

“So when people stop and yell out that our fish is too expensive, we find that hard to take because it’s not easy catching fish.”

Like Lusia, Tala and his friend have tried to find jobs.

“We’ve looked everywhere,” Tala said. “Nobody would give us a job.

“And so to assist our families financially, this is our contribution. There is a desire inside of us to continue to do this to make sure our families are fed."

“It’s hard to get up and get into the water some days but we have no choice, we have to do it.”

Both men agree that the key to a good life is making the most with what they have.

“We are here today, smiling and waving to the people and waiting for someone to come and buy our fish,” Tala said. “We’ll do the same thing tomorrow and next week. We have no choice.”

On the dusty and hot streets of Apia, a young boy who gave his name as ‘John’ was selling boxes of matches. The 11-year-old said he comes from the west of Upolu and he was in town with his parents.

“I know I’m supposed to go to school but I’m here to help my parents make some money,” he said.

“We are a poor family and if I don’t sell these matches, we have no food for tonight.”

John is not alone. There are many like him on the streets of Apia, despite a law prohibiting students from being on the streets at school hours.

John knows this.

“I try and keep away from the police because they might take me in. So far I’ve been lucky I haven’t been caught.”

Asked what he would like to do in the future, John said he wants to become a teacher.

“How can you become a teacher if you don’t go to school,” this reporter asked.

“I know I will go back to school but I just have to sell a few more things yet.”

Last month, the government confirmed that youth unemployment in Samoa is getting worse.

At the time, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labour, Auelua Samuelu Enari, blamed the lack of access to financial resources as the cause.

“It is simply getting worse in our view due to among other things external factors highlighted above,” he said.

“(The reason for this is) insufficient financial resources available to the youth to enable establishment of their own businesses through skill sets learnt.”

Auelua was responding to an Asian Development Bank (A.D.B.) report that at 16.1 per cent, Samoa has the highest youth unemployment in the South-East Asia-Pacific region.

“While this information is a cause for concern, one wouldn’t only wait to read about it from International report, but simply look around and the evidence is overwhelmingly visible,” he said. “The issue then would be; what are the causal factors of such high youth unemployment in Samoa?”

Asked for a comment, Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, was dismissive. He insisted that there are “enormous employment opportunities” in Samoa.

These opportunities are available in sectors such as agriculture.

However, he said “there are many who do not want to take it up.”

In making the point, Tuilaepa dismissed fears about Samoa’s high youth unemployment rate.

According to the Prime Minister, it is not the unemployment figures that should be of concern, but rather people should look at the underemployment figures of our youth.

“When you talk economics, there is no such thing as unemployment,” Tuilaepa said.

“We have a term called underemployment. What does that mean? It means that we have enormous employment opportunities in agriculture and there are many who do not want to take it up. So it is talking in relative terms.”

But what do Tala and Lusia think about this?

“If there was a job for me, I would rather be working than eating dust on the side of the road,” said Tala. “In the absence of a job, I know I have no choice but to continue. So I will believe that political talk when I find a job.”

Samoa yesterday signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (C.R.P.D).

Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, signed on behalf of Samoa at the United Nations Headquarters in New York yesterday.

The Prime Minister is attending the 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The signing of the C.R.P.D symbolizes the intentions of Samoa to become a state party to Convention.

This has been in the pipeline for some time now, and is the direct result of advocacy on the part of the Disabled Persons Organization and service providers in the disability sector.

“The ultimate aim for facilitating Samoa’s accession to C.R.P.D is to ensure we have an enabling environment that promotes and supports inclusive development at all levels as one of the key principles for sustainable development in line with the direction of the relevant regional and global instruments on development,” a statement from the government said.

“Having signed the Convention, the next steps include the finalization of the Legislative Compliance Review of the Convention against our laws, the costing of an implementation plan for Samoa once it becomes a full state party for C.R.P.D, and ongoing awareness on what CRPD is about."

“The education and awareness activities have begun already through financial assistance from the Government of Australia and through strategic partnerships with the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat and the Pacific Disability Forum.”

In 2013 a Disability Programme funded by Australia was launched and this is delivered through the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development as the national focal point for Disability.

The programme provides support for the government towards becoming a state party for C.R.P.D, which is anticipated to take place, once all the ground work has been completed through the assistance from the Government of Australia.

According to the W.H.O World Report on Disability, the number of persons with disabilities in Samoa translates to approximately 27,600 people, that is 15per cent of the population.

People with physical disabilities such as spinal injuries, visual or hearing impairments are those who have been most active within Samoa’s disability sector, which is made up of partners the public and private sectors, but it is likely that people with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities make up the largest proportion of people with disabilities, as is the case globally.

The signing of the C.R.P.D is the culmination of years of advocacy from the disability sector, for both disabled and able-bodied people to share and benefit from development processes, so that developmental outcomes are more likely to be achieved and the lives of all people will be improved.

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is the 5th international human rights instrument to be signed by government of Samoa.

“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 begins a milestone for the Animal Production and Health Division (A.P.H.D) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.

At Vaea, it is the opening of its headquarters recently relocated from Avele.

Worth $2.3 million, the centre was funded with assistance from China.

The Minister of Agriculture, Le Mamea Ropati Mualia said the centre located on 100 acres of property is far more beneficial for the work associated to A.P.H.D.

As for its old location, this will be handed to China.

“China wants to lease the old property for their new Headquarters,” Le Mamea said.

The centre also includes living facilities for expatriates and veterinarians working with M.A.F, as well as a meat processing operations where sausages and ham are made.

“This is where demonstrations to the private sector interested in this type of business will be held.”

The property will also include a fenced off area for all the livestock cared for by the division such as cattle, sheep, ducks, pigs and chickens.

The rest of the funding will go towards maintenance of the centre.

The centre took three months to construct and will house over 60 staff members.

The core function of A.P.H.D is to undertake Research and development and provide technical advice on Animal production and health and meat inspection services to improve livestock production for subsistence and commercial producers, processors and marketers.

“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”

“This disease is a condition in which there is an abnormal build up of CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) in the cavities (ventricles) of the brain.

The medical condition for babies born with swollen heads is known as “Hydrocephalus.” Such a condition is not inheritable.

So says the Director General of the Ministry of Health, Leausa Dr. Take Naseri, whose opinion was sought following a spike in the number of cases in Samoa.

Just this week, two babies with similar conditions approached the Samoa Observer for assistance. Their families are looking at taking them overseas for medical treatment.

According to the Samoa Victim Support Group, there are six other similar cases, prompting questions as to why the sudden surge in a number of such cases.

Yesterday, the Director of Health said there is no particular cause for the condition.

“Its contents are deformities and there is no particular cause,” Leausa said adding that “the causes of hydrocephalus are still not well understood.”

“It may result from inherited genetic abnormalities (such as the genetic defect that causes aqueduct stenosis) or developmental disorders (such as those associated with neural tube defects including spina bifida and encephalocele).”

Other possible causes include complications of premature birth such as intra-ventricular haemorrhage, diseases such as meningitis, tumours, traumatic

“This disease is a condition in which there is an abnormal build up of CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) in the cavities (ventricles) of the brain.”

“The build-ups is often caused by an obstruction which prevents proper fluid drainage. The fluid build-ups can raise intracranial pressure inside the skull which compresses surrounding brain tissue, possibly causing progressive enlargement of the head, convulsions, and brain damage.”

But “hydrocephalus can be fatal if left untreated,” Leausa pointed out.

He said hydrocephalus can be visible during the mother’s ultrasound scan and in that case, they will be warned.

Leausa also confirmed that the hospital scanner is broken and they are waiting for a part to arrive.

“So right now the hospital has no scanner,” he said. “We are waiting for the particular part to arrive and also a new scanner because you see these are advanced technology and so it is very expensive.”

“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”