HONORABLE OLO RESPONDS TO CLAIMS BY FORMER P.M.

PRESS RELEASE;

The Minister of Works, Transport and Infrastructure (M.W.T.I.), Honorable Olo Afoa Fiti Vaai, has clarified his involvement with the large sea cucumber discovery last month, rejecting criticisms made by former Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Dr Sailele Malielegaoi.

On August 21, Honorable Olo was greeted by the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Honorable Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt and Police officers conducting investigation on the alleged illegal operation upon arrival at the Vaitele property in question

The discovery led to the confiscation of more than a hundred kilograms of sea cucumbers.

The Minister said his involvement in the haul comes after receiving several calls from a family near the vicinity pleading for assistance, complaining of a foul smell coming from the property. The family claimed to have made several reports to the Police and the Ministry of Health without avail.

“My only concern was for wellbeing and safety of the neighbouring families who called me many times saying they cannot take the smell coming from this property any longer,” Honorable Olo said.

“One family told me they had relocated their children to relatives at Siusega to avoid the strong foul smell coming from this Vaitele property.”

The export of sea cucumber is prohibited under Samoa's Fisheries Act 1988.

“The exporting of sea cucumbers is illegal in Samoa and I’m sure Tuilaepa knows that. There were also rumors which have been circulating for a very long time that there is allegedly an illegal processing of sea cucumbers processing at his own village, yet he has done nothing about it.

“Last year, the Ministry of Customs has seized a container of sea cucumbers purposed for export and that’s the evidence that the exporting of sea cucumbers is happening in Samoa.”

Claims made by the Human Rights Protection Party (H.R.P.P.) leader that the Chinese businessman was only “washing a bowl of sea slugs” for his consumption when the operation took place, is untrue.

Honorable Olo said they witnessed two very large cooking pots boiling an estimated amount of up to 200 sea cucumbers.

“The Chinese businessman cannot eat all 200 sea cucumbers that we saw boiling over a fire in large pots; that’s nonsense,” he said.

“They have done this for a very long time, it is not for local consumption.”

Additionally, Honorable Olo countered Tuilaepa’s claims that he is “friends” and has done business with the Chinese businessman in question.

“Apart from political affiliations, I do not know him personally and I definitely have never done business with him,” he said.

“Maybe Tuilaepa has forgotten that H.R.P.P. closed down all three of my businesses. I don’t have a business other than my cabbages that I sell on the side of the road along with my fishes.

“And while everyone is my friend, including foreign investors, when it comes to breaching the law, I am no one’s friend.”