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Senate prez recommends Senator Nua step down as DBAS board chair

Senate President Gaoteote Tofau Palaie has recommended to Senate Pro Tem Nuanuaolefeagaiga Saoluaga Nua that he step down as the Chairman of the Development Bank of American Samoa Board, giving him the time frame of one week to make this move, although he will remain as a board member. This was a result of their meeting held on Tuesday on this matter, as Nua has recently returned from Manu’a, said Gaoteote.

 

Earlier this month, Senator Galea’i Tu’ufuli did not mince words when he called upon Nua to step down as Board Chairman of DBAS, given the recent developments at the bank.

 

Galea’i was referring to the move by DBAS, to file civil litigation in High Court against its customers who failed to comply with conditions of the section1602 federal housing program contract. Among the cases filed, there is one against Senator Nua and his wife Usu Nua for $351,124.80 for not completing their project by the mandated deadline of December 31, 2012.  DBAS is seeking the return or the recapture of the full amounts, which will then be forwarded to the US Treasury.

 

Galea’i pointed out that Nua is the Senate Pro Tem, as well as Chairman of the DBAS board — and a decision should have been made by Senator Nua to step down as Chair or recuse himself from the board, and the intention is to protect the name of the Senate as it is Nua that represents the Senate on the bank board. 

 

In response to the matter Nua noted that his appointment as Chairman of the DBAS Board came after he was awarded the 1602 project and noted the delay in completing the project was due to the unstable transportation to Manu’a. He said that he had asked the bank for an extension to March 31, 2014.

 

Senate president Gaoteote pointed out there was a DBAS board meeting held over the weekend and he was informed that this matter was brought up by one member, however the board member wanted Nua to remain as Chairman.

 

According to a board member, who wishes to remain anonymous, Nua did not step down as DBAS board chair, yesterday, nor was the matter brought up or discussed. Samoa News understands the DBAS Board conducted a site visit to its new building still under construction and then proceeded to the Sadie Thompson Inn for a Board luncheon.

 

In response to Samoa News queries, the Senate President pointed out this matter should have not been discussed during the Senate session, but rather it “should have been an in-house matter” and addressed with him personally.

 

Gaoteote stated the issue should have been brought to him directly given that the appointment of Nua to sit on the DBAS board was done by him (Gaoteote). When asked if he agreed with the move by Galea’i in asking Nua to step down as Chairman, Gaoteote’s response was, “Be realistic, we are not clean people, almost everyone sitting there owes money to the bank.”

 

He did not elaborate on what he was referring to when he said “everyone sitting there” but noted that Nua has not committed a crime and it’s a civil matter.

 

Numerous calls to Nua were either not answered or at other times, the Senate Pro Tem said he would return the call, but as of press time he had not returned the calls.

 

OTHER DBAS NEWS

 

Samoa News understands that all the civil litigation filed in the High Court for DBAS cases are now handled by Sharron Rancourt, as Fainu’ulelei Alailima Utu has since had his contract terminated by DBAS—upon his request— and his last day of work was yesterday. According to a DBAS board member who did not wish to be named, this is only temporary as DBAS is seeking a new attorney for the bank.