Pago Pago Faipule Returns $10,000 Check

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Pago Pago Representative Vesiai Poyer Samuelu is returning his $10,000 check from the COVID-19 federal funds.

In a statement released over the weekend, the first term lawmaker said that on July 2nd, he had been contacted by the House Speaker’s Secretary to attend a meeting at 8:00 am Monday, July 6.

The topic of the meeting was not given.

Vesiai said at the meeting, he was totally surprised when handed the check of $10,000 with the Speaker’s explanation as noted in the media.

The faipule said he questioned the Speaker about the source of funding for the money. But he said the Speaker did not provide an answer.

“Without clarification on the source of funding of this money, it’s an indication, that perhaps this money was questionable,” said Vesiai,

“With further discussions with my fellow colleagues, I have decided with true honesty, and clarity of mind, that, I am returning this money to the ASG Revenue Office to properly credit the COVID account.”

The Pago Pago lawmaker added, “There is no doubt that this fund would have provided much needed infrastructure improvements to my beloved village of Pago Pago, as well as setting up vital programs to address the high rate of teenage suicide, the drug problem in the village and ultimately set up a venue for quarantine beds specifically for our village community, to name a few.”

Vesiai is of the opinion however that “the money was provided to each faipule in the wrong context, thus, the right and honest thing to do is to return the funds.”

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