Government officials have dismissed claims that the American Samoa government has made any sort of payment to Tri Marine International, who took over the COS Samoa Packing cannery facility to operate a new cannery, Samoa Tuna Processors.
The allegations of a payment were raised yesterday by Sen. Lualemaga Faoa during a Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee hearing on new revenue measures submitted by the administration.
Lualemaga’s inquiry was directed to ASG Treasurer Magalei Logovi’i and the Governor’s Chief Legal Counsel Tasi Tuiteleleapaga, who were among the ASG witnesses at the committee hearing.
Lualemaga wanted to know if the government gave any money to Tri Marine to which Tuiteleleapaga said “no†money was ever handed over to Tri Marine.
Lualemaga said he received reports that the amount was half-a-million dollars given to Tri Marine.
Magalei said ASG didn’t give Tri Marine any money, but said that the government owes $1.5 million to COS Samoa Packing for overpayment on taxes by the COS cannery, and installment payments of $500,000 are being made.
