Two complaints have been filed in High Court in connection with last Tuesday’s general election. One is from District 9 — Pago Pago and the other is from District 14 — Alataua. The first alleges election fraud by the winning candidate, as well as neglect of duty by the Chief Election Officer in relationship to the alleged election fraud, while the second challenge alleges Election law violations at some of the polling stations in the Alataua District.

The first complaint, filed Monday morning, was by the losing candidate, in District 9 for election to the House of Representatives, incumbent faipule Va’amua Henry Sesepasara. He filed against the winner of the Pago Pago District, Meauta L. Mageo, and also filed against Chief Election Commissioner Tuaolo Fruean. Va’amua, who is represented by Matailupevao Leupolu Jr.

The second complaint is filed against the Speaker of the House, Savali Talavou Ale by losing candidate, Fatumalala L.A. Al-Sheri, who claims it is also on behalf of Samatua Edwin Hollister, the third candidate in the Alataua District House race. Their complaint questions incidents that happened during Election Day at some of the polling places in the Alataua District. Samoa News will report on Al-Sheri’s full complaint in tomorrow’s edition.

DISTRICT 9 — PAGO PAGO

Va’amua notes the day after the election he received a call from a constituent indicating that Meauta was convicted in Hawai’i for failure to pay child support and also convicted in Oregon in 2010 for a felony.

According to the complaint filed before the Appellate Division of the High Court, it is based on the application filed by the respondent Meauta L. Mageo at the Election office, “Candidate Confidential Qualifications Questionnaire” wherein all candidates are asked, “Have you ever been convicted of a felony?”

According to Va’amua, he asked the election office to release the said form. However, as of the date on which the petition was filed, the form has not been released from the Election Office.

The complaint says that that Va’amua also filed a contest of election with the Election Office and Tuaolo has yet to respond. “If the answer to the above question was no, then the defendant has committed fraud in completing the form and should be subject to disqualification at the court,” he states.

“The respondent, chief election officer Tauolo failed to complete his review of the qualification of responder’s Mageo’s qualifications to have been eligible and qualified to run as a candidate for the House of Representatives District 9 and the failure of Tuaolo was material in this matter.”

The complaint further says that had Tuaolo fully completed his review of Mageo’s qualifications to be eligible to run as a candidate for the House, he would have disqualified Mageo, as a candidate and that Petitioner (Va’amua) would have run unopposed and the court should find the petitioner to be the only candidate that meets the requirements to be a candidate for the House.

Va’amua through his petition claims that Mageo committed contempt of court in the State of Oregon and he has falsified the documents that were submitted to the Election Office.

He is asking the appellate court for a determination that the respondent Mageo committed election fraud and his winning at the Election on November 4, 2014 should be invalidated.

The Petitioner also alleges in the complaint that the failure of Chief Election Officer Tuaolo to complete his review of the qualifications and eligibility of Mageo to run as a candidate for the House was not an excuse, but a neglect of duty.

Va’amua’s complaint was attached to a background check on Meauta.

Meauta declined to comment on the matter at this time.