Samoa government responds to questions over $750,000 district fund withdrawal

The Government of Samoa says withdrawing money from a district development account is not, by itself, evidence that the money was stolen or corruptly used, following public scrutiny of transactions involving the Safata I district fund.

The Government issued a statement on 12 August 2026 after media reports raised questions about a ST$750,000 cash withdrawal from the Safata I District Development Programme account.

According to reporting by the Samoa Observer, subsequently reported by Pacific Media Network, former Safata I MP Seve Te‘i Fuimaono and the district council’s principal executive officer, Vaelua Tafau, co-signed the withdrawal on 14 March 2026.

The withdrawal reportedly occurred four days after Tunumafono Clare Tai Tin was sworn in as the district’s new Member of Parliament and Associate Minister of Revenue.

The ST$750,000 was reportedly withdrawn on the same day the Government deposited approximately ST$1.26 million into the account as Safata I’s first funding allocation.

Seve won the Safata I seat for the governing Faatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi party in the 2025 general election. However, the Electoral Court later voided the result, leading to a by-election won by Tunumafono on 27 February 2026.

Further withdrawals reported

Bank statements reviewed by the Samoa Observer reportedly showed that Seve continued making withdrawals after Tunumafono took office.

The reported transactions included ST$10,000 on 8 April, another ST$10,000 on 15 April and ST$5,000 on 5 May.

Tunumafono reportedly withdrew ST$30,000 in cash on 27 May.

According to PMN, Tunumafono wrote to the Alii ma Faipule the following day advising that a financial report would be provided once spending reached between ST$700,000 and ST$800,000.

However, the bank statements reportedly showed that more than ST$1 million had already left the account.

The transactions raised questions about why a former MP continued to have signatory access after a new representative had taken office, who was responsible for updating the account’s authorised signatories and whether the money withdrawn was properly spent and accounted for.

Government says withdrawal alone is not proof

The Government did not identify Safata I, Seve or Tunumafono in its statement. It said it was responding to recent public commentary concerning withdrawals from District Development Programme accounts.

“The mere withdrawal of funds from a district bank account is therefore not, by itself, evidence that money has been stolen or corruptly used,” the Government said.

It said the important considerations were whether expenditure was properly authorised, used for an approved purpose, supported by invoices and other records, reconciled and subjected to financial reporting and auditing requirements.

The Government said District Councils remain responsible for accounting for public funds.

Any expenditure that cannot be satisfactorily supported must be investigated and addressed through the appropriate financial and legal processes, it said.

“Public money must be accounted for. Public officials must be accountable. But allegations of corruption must also be supported by evidence.”

Central questions remain unanswered

Although the statement set out the financial standards that District Councils are expected to follow, it did not establish whether those requirements were followed in relation to the reported Safata I transactions.

The Government did not explain why Seve reportedly remained an authorised signatory after Tunumafono took office or identify who was responsible for changing the signatories.

It did not provide a breakdown showing how the reported ST$750,000 was spent or confirm whether supporting invoices, receipts, reconciled accounts and financial reports had been independently verified.

The statement also did not say whether the Safata I transactions had been referred to Police, the Ministry of Finance or auditors for investigation.

The absence of those details does not establish that the money was misused. However, it means the specific questions raised by the reported bank transactions remain unanswered.

Government points to school assistance

The Government said a significant part of district expenditure during the period under discussion was connected to its Back-to-School Assistance Programme.

Under the programme, eligible Samoan families received $150 to help meet the cost of preparing their children for school.

The assistance was an announced Government initiative delivered nationwide through district structures.

However, the Government did not provide a district-by-district breakdown or state how much of the money withdrawn from the Safata I account was used for the school assistance programme.

Wider concerns involving Faleata II

The PMN report also referred to transactions involving the Faleata II district account.

Citing the Samoa Observer, PMN reported that Faleata II chairwoman Muaaufaalele Mary Tae‘u withdrew more than ST$1.5 million in cash over four months. The reported transactions included five withdrawals of ST$300,000.

The account was reportedly left with ST$1,017.70, while no completed physical projects had been reported from the district’s ST$1.8 million allocation.

The Government’s press release did not specifically address the Faleata II transactions or provide an account of how that money was spent.

Parliament approved $91.8 million

The District Development Programme operates across Samoa’s 51 political districts.

According to the Government, Parliament approved $91.8 million for the programme during the 2025–2026 financial year.

Districts receive allocations under approved plans and budgets and are required to meet reporting and compliance obligations.

The Government said legitimate public expenditure should not be characterised as corruption without evidence, but it also welcomed proper scrutiny of the programme.

It pledged to continue strengthening transparency and accountability while ensuring that funding reached the families and communities for whom it was intended.

Government rejects claims about IMF findings

The Government also rejected suggestions that the International Monetary Fund’s recent Article IV consultation found corruption or misuse involving District Development Programme funds.

“It did not,” the Government said.

According to the statement, the IMF identified under-execution of development spending and recommended improvements in project appraisal, procurement, implementation, monitoring, transparency and accountability.

The Government said it accepted the need for these governance improvements and was responding through revised operating manuals, stronger monitoring and a new district development framework.

However, PMN did not report that the IMF had found corruption. Its article said the IMF’s concerns related to under-execution and accountability rather than a finding that the reported withdrawals were unlawful.

The Government’s correction may therefore have been directed at other public commentary rather than the substance of PMN’s report.

Welfare measures highlighted

The Government used the statement to highlight several social support initiatives.

From 1 July 2026, the Senior Citizens Benefit for Samoans aged 70 and over increased from $300 to $500 per month, providing assistance to more than 7,000 senior citizens.

Disability benefits were also increased to $300 per month.

The Government has allocated $20 million for a new Child Wellbeing Benefit. Eligible children will receive a $200 birth payment followed by $100 per month during the first 35 months of life.

The first payments are scheduled for January 2027, subject to the passage of the required legislation and the completion of registration, verification and payment systems.

“Development must reach the people — and every tala spent for the people must be properly accounted for,” the Government concluded.

This article is based on a Government of Samoa press release issued on 12 August 2026 and reporting by the Samoa Observer and Pacific Media Network.