In all my life, I have never seen a Cabinet press release that announced the dismissal of a public servant…never…not in Samoa, NZ or Australia, where I’ve lived and followed politics…never ever!
And yet here we are, a press release about the termination of the Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) ACEO, Vaiofuaiupolu (Vaimasenu’u) Chris Fa’aofo, that happened THREE MONTHS AGO!
The timing of this “undated” press release can only be interpreted as LOW-DOWN DIRTY ROTTEN POLITICS…utter gutter trash to mislead the voters that he is under investigation!
It is a trait evident of Fast’s campaign strategies, to portray opponents as untrustworthy suspicious characters.
Apparently, there had been issues referred to Police for review, recommended by the LTA Board.
A letter from the Attorney General dated July 6th, 2026, acknowledged that “allegations were thoroughly and properly investigated” by Police, and Mr Fa’aofo had been cleared of any breaches.
It satisfied the electoral laws criteria, which allowed him to register as a candidate, without objections.
The BIG issue here is that Mr Fa’aofo is the HRPP candidate in the upcoming Vaimauga #3 bi-elections.
Similar methods were adopted during last year’s campaign, when certain Fast-aligned media platforms, accused Lauofo Fonotoe Pierre Lauofo, of signing cheques from their District Development Project, to purchase illicit drugs.
All allegations proved to be false, so there’s a pending court case.
Mr Fa’aofo holds a Masters Degree in Computing and has worked as a loyal public servant for many years. His wife is also studying towards a doctorate (PhD).
Many of his critics have never seen the inside of a University lecture hall, let alone pass their School C exams.
He is heavily involved in sport development for youth and continue to coach rugby teams in his district and the nation. And that is where his heart is…a prosperous future of our youth.
The election should be contested on a clean, respectful and level playing field.
Voters should be allowed to choose their representative based on merits, skills and services to their communities. And not influenced by dirty political tactics from outside forces.
So when pathetic actions, like the timing of this press release, continue to drive a wedge between our people, the peace and harmony we desperately yearn, will just be an illusion.
May the Vaimauga #3 and Falealili #1 people vote for someone who genuinely cares for their electorates, regardless of their political affiliations.
Best of Luck to ALL candidates!
