Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, yesterday blasted the Samoa Observer over its persistent reporting of a call “for justice” in relation to the Controller and Chief Auditor, Fuimaono Camillo Afele’s report.
The call was made by the Associate Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Papali’i Niko Lee Hang, on the front page of the Sunday Samoan of 17 August 2014.
In the story titled “Demand for justice,” Papali’i argued that justice must be served against public servants whom Chief Auditor Fuimaono, and the Officers of Parliamentary Committee (O.P.C), have found to have “defrauded” taxpayers through “collusion” and acts of “corrupt practises.”
Papali’i had spoken out in anticipation of a response from the government to the O.P.C’s findings on the Controller and Chief Auditor’s 2009 report to Parliament.
When Parliament convened this week, there was no response. Parliament has since been adjourned until 21 October 2014.
Asked for a comment during his weekly session with the media yesterday evening, Tuilaepa said he doesn’t understand “what they’re waiting for.”
“It’s none of their business,” he said.
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The Prime Minister then turned on the Samoa Observer. “I saw the Observer yesterday with a headline about that,” he said.
“When it comes to meetings, whether it’s a rugby team, volleyball team, church, Parliament or the United Nations, there is always a set agenda.
“On the agenda is where all the issues for a meeting are listed.”
According to the Prime Minister, Parliament’s agenda has already been set and that’s the “guide that we will follow.
“When it’s time to talk about the Auditor’s report or whoever, then we will talk about it… but we don’t just bring anything in because the newspaper wants to, or whoever (wants to).”
Criticising the Samoa Observer again, Tuilaepa said he did not “know the little girl who wrote that article.” He did not say which article he was referring to. But he accused the newspaper of always “doing wrong articles.”
“I don’t know when they will get it right,” he said. “With this newspaper, they might get it right for one day, and then for seven days they will get it wrong. So they get it right on Sunday and then get it wrong from Monday until Saturday.”
Tuilaepa also lashed out at journalists in general for creating so much dirt.
“There is so much to clean in the world because of you,” he said.
In the Sunday Samoan, Papali’i challenged the government to implement the recommendations from the O.P.C against the public servants whose actions have cost taxpayers millions of tala.
“I really want to bring these people to account and be brought to justice,” Papali’i said. “I mean it is millions, we are talking about millions.
“(It is) not $100 for a public servant to go to jail just for defrauding a hundred bucks.” The matter, since the reports from Chief Auditor and the O.P.C surfaced, has taken too long.
“So where is the justice?” Papali’i asks.
“I don’t like that. To me it is not fair, my conscience is not right if they keep on doing that. So I have to fight for that.”
The Individual Voters’ Member said the collusion to defraud public funds started when the former Finance Minister, Faumuina Tiatia Liuga, took over the Samoa Land Corporation portfolio.
“Well that is proven in our investigation and we have evidence,” he said. “We are still waiting for the government’s reply to our recommendations.
“If they fail to accommodate our (recommendations) then we will go one more step.”
While he did not say what that step was, Papali’i has in the past said that if the Government does not adopt the F.E.C’s recommendations, they will take the matter to Court.
Papali’i was not immediately available for a comment yesterday.
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