The Chairman of the Senate Retirement Committee, Senator Asifoa Atualevao, apologized and admitted that he was wrong in calling off a hearing Thursday with the Retirement Fund Board members and new Executive Director.
Atualevao had dismissed the Senate Committee of the Whole despite a majority of 8 voting to hold the hearing.
At the Senate session on Friday, the committee chairman apologized to his colleagues and the Senate President for the way he handled the hearing.
Atualevao made a special apology to Senator Tuaolo saying that he realized later that Tuaolo was right and he was wrong, that the hearing on Thursday was not just the Retirement Committee but rather the Senate meeting as Committee of the Whole.
Senator Tuaolo responded that the chairman didn’t have to apologize…all he was trying to tell Atualevao was that the President and Senate had already decided to hold the hearing.
Tuaolo said the investigation of the Retirement Fund that is on going does not include a recent $100,000 payout, a reference to the reported payout for Luatua Filisouaiga Taafua, former executive director of the Retirement Fund.
(While Samoa News has reported that the payout for Luatua was $100,000, KHJ News has received confirmation that it was about $60,000)
KHJ News has reported several times that the police investigation and the auditor’s report of the investigation of were completed last month.
The police report has been with the AG’s office for four weeks now.
The AG’s Office also has a copy of the auditor’s report.
KHJ News understands that Senate President Gaoteote Palaie was on his way to the hearing on Thursday when it was cancelled and called the Chairman of the Retirement Committee to his office to find out what happened.
Gaoteote said during Friday’s session that he had already advised Atualevao on how the various Senate committees operate.
He expressed his disappointment at the outcome and reminded the Senate that it wasn’t easy scheduling witnesses, and they make time to attend, and hearings are called off.
The president told senators he doesn’t dictate how to conduct or schedule their hearings but if they do set the hearings they must make sure the hearings take place.
And further the Fono operates by unanimous decisions not by the will of the President.
Gaoteote went on to say that he had requested the presence of the Retirement Fund attorney Faoa Aitofele Sunia who was in the gallery, to help advise the Senate and the Retirement Fund witnesses during the hearing.
He pointed out that most of the time senators request last minute meetings that violate the required 72 hr notification rule, but his office goes out of its way to accomodate their wishes.
The Senate leader continued his lecture saying it is unprofessional to call witnesses and then turn around and cancel scheduled hearings.
Gaoteote said he doesn’t want to see any requests for hearings if senators are not going to conduct them.
