By Staff Writer
Attempts by the Samoa Tourism Authority CEO Suifua Lenata’i Sala to defend against alleged staff complaints are being frustrated by unsuccessful efforts to have copies of protest letters by his accusers.
It is more than a week now since the Minister of Labour, Leatinuu Wayne Fong, told the local media about the letters sent to him by the STA staff.
CEO Suifua has since been trying to weather a sudden storm of negative publicity, internal investigations by the STA Board and even the police.
The damaging turn of events caught the CEO blindsided at a sensitive time in his bid to be re-appointed to his top executive job, when his three-year contract runs out in June.
Applications for his job had just closed when the Labour Minister made public the revelations of staff complaints that could go against his chances of reappointment.
Interviews organised by the Public Enterprise Ministry for applicants are to be called in a few days time.
The Minister of Tourism, Toeolesulusulu Cedric Schuster, initially refrained from commenting to inquiries from the local media, shortly after his Cabinet colleague in Labour went public.
But he has since last Thursday chaired a special meeting of the Tourism Board over the controversy, in the absence of the chairman Nathan Bucknall who is off island.
A press statement from the Government media confirmed the presence of the Minister of Labour at the meeting and the decision taken to investigate the complaints.
The statement confirmed that both Ministers, Toeolesulusulu and Leatinuu, received the complaint letters from former and current STA staff.
The letters alleged misconduct of the CEO in carrying out his responsibilities, ‘…malice leadership and mismanagement of assets of the Authority.’
The Police came into the picture when the Assistant Commissioner, Auapaau Logoitino Filipo, reportedly told TV1 Samoa, of criminal complaints filed against the CEO earlier in the week that are now being investigated.
Suifua is the second CEO to be dragged into the public limelight in recent days, after the head of the Ministry of Education, Afamasaga Karoline Fuata’i.
The Minister of Agriculture and FAST party chairman, La’auli Schmidt, called for Afamasaga’s resignation over a public notice she put out to delay the start of classes for younger students at the primary level.
The Minister accused the CEO of disrespecting the PM’s directive for schools to re-start when the COVID 19 lockdown restrictions went down from level 2 to level 1.
Afamasaga did not want to comment on the call for her resignation except to confirm that she has given a formal explanation to the Minister of Education who will take it up with Cabinet.
Education Minister Seuala Ioane, has however, reportedly brushed aside the resignation call as trivial in reaction to the local media.
The fate of the two CEOs should be decided in the coming days.