Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Pago Pago faipule, Vesiai Poyer Samuelu, said in a statement Monday that he is  returning his $10,000 check which is funded with federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act money allocated to ASG. This was before US Treasury Department’s deputy inspector general Richard K. Delmar in a July 14th letter to ASG Treasurer Ueligitone Tonumaipe’a, ruled the funds must be returned.

Vesiai joins Tualauta Rep. Larry Sanitoa who said last week that he was returning his check.

The Fono’s share of the money was said to be for setting up an office space or to make improvements to Fono member's home office in case there is a change in the [COVID-19] Code Declaration, requiring members to work from home and communicate online for virtual sessions and/or committee hearings. According to Fono leaders, the funds may also be used for district needs.

“This fund was provided to each Faipule in the wrong context, thus, the right and honest thing to do is to return the funds,” Rep. Vesiai said and explained that he was contacted on July 2 to attend a meeting with the House Speaker on July 6th. And there was no information on what was to be discussed.

“I was totally surprised to be provided a check… of $10,000 with the Speaker’s explanation” as reported in the news media, Vesiai said.

During the meeting, Vesiai said he questioned the Speaker, as to where and what source of funding this money was coming from, but the Speaker did not provide an answer.

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

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

Vesiai said there’s “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, as well as addressing the drug problem in the village and ultimately set up a venue for quarantine beds specifically for our village community, to name a few.”