From the House by Pesi Fonua

A revelation that the Treasury transferred money to a bank account of the former Auditor General, now a Cabinet Minister Hon. Pohiva Tu'ionetoa, who still owed government more than $6000 was hotly debated in the Tongan Parliament yesterday, 17 October.

An Independent Auditor’s report on the Office of the Auditor’s General during the 2014 and 2015 financial years was presented to the Tongan Parliament by the Hon. Tevita Lavemaau, the chairman of the Standing Committee on Finance and Public Accounts.

Two controversial findings by the Independent Auditor, were the transference by the Treasury of money straight into the bank account of the Auditor General, from which he paid his staff, tax free for working over time, and another issue of a pay cheque paid in advance for the Auditor General.

The Auditor General ran for parliament in the general election of 2014 and won a seat as the People’s Representative for Constituent No. 10. He was later appointed as a Minister of Police, Labour, Commerce, Industries and Trade.

Hon. Pohiva Tu'ionetoa ceased to be an Auditor General at the end of 2014 and allegedly owed government more than $6000.

According to the report, when the former Auditor General was informed that he owed government more than $6000, his response was that government still owed him unpaid allowances.

The decision by government to hire an independent auditor to scrutinize the work of the Auditor General, was welcomed by the Minister of Finance, Hon. ‘Aisake Eke.

He told the House that the general reaction was that since government ministries are audited by the Auditor General, it was good for the work of the Auditor General to be independently audited.

Attitudes

The debate over the Independent Auditor’s report brought to the surface how some Cabinet Ministers and some Members of Parliament regarded the misuse of government money as common practice within government.

The Prime Minister, Hon. ‘Akilisi Pohiva raised the issue that it was a former practice of the House for members to be given their whole year salary following the opening of parliament every year. He pointed out that when some died before the end of the year they had already been paid in advance.

Even the Minister of Justice, Hon Vuna Fa’otusia, reminded the House that mistakes could be made. There was a short fall, and it would be repaid.

In response to the PM's remark, Lord Nuku reminded the House that even today members of Parliament are paid even when they are not working.

Lord Fusitu’a insisted that the law was infringed and something has to be done about it.

The Prime Minister and some Cabinet Ministers were eager for the new Chairman of the Whole House Committee, Hon. Veivosa Light of Day Taka, who was selected that morning, to call for the Committee to vote on the report. They had confidence that they had the number to win the vote and pass the report.

Reputation

Lord Nuku and Lord Tu’iha’angana expressed their concern that if they voted on the report it would be passed, but it would not be good for the reputation of the House.

Lord Nuku moved a motion for the report to be tabled into the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Legislation.

The chairman called for vote on the last motion for the report to be tabled into the Standing Committee on Legislation. It was carried 10-9.