Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — ASPA Managing Director, Paul Young has resigned from the American Samoa Power Authority, and his resignation has been accepted, according to the Chief Executive Officer of ASPA, Utu Abe Malae.

Utu told Samoa News, in response to our email requesting comments on the CFO’s resignation that Young “resigned on his own terms and I accepted it. However, there is always room for consultancy work from him if he chooses. It is not easy finding the skill sets in four individuals that Paul Young possesses as one person.”

Young’s resignation comes amid rumors of a burglary that happened at ASPA, dismissal of at least 4 employees and possible impropriety concerning the ASPA Employees Fund.

Utu response was firm: “Paul’s character is impeccable.”

He noted that “Young's resignation has no relation to the robbery” and confirmed “There was a burglary at the ASPA campus the other night,” for the amount of $1K.

Utu said of the other rumors — they are being put out by people “scrambling to vilify him [Young] and crying ’what about isms’  — how about so and so who did worse? Shouldn't I get a break because he or she was allowed to resign instead of being fired?” 

The ASPA CEO said, “Paul discovered employees kiting checks and a supervisor oblivious to what was going on. This kind of theft has been the bane of this division of ASPA over two years.” He said, “the boom is about to be lowered…”

Utu concluded, “E fiu lava le amioleaga e solasola ae tuliloaina.”

The CEO of ASPA is currently on the mainland.