By Pesi Fonua

A Committee of Inquiry is to investigate the activities of the Board of the Tonga Rugby Football Union, and to look into $513,831 pa'anga in TRFU funds that, according to a CEO's report, have not been accounted for.

The committee was established at the AGM of the TRFU on December 21 2007.

The former Chief Executive Officer of the Board, Siosaia Fonua, who was ordered by the Supreme Court to attend the meeting "and to present further information to the members of the TRFU regarding the state of affairs of the Union . . ." said this morning that the members of the committee are himself, Sione Taumoepeau, TRFU vice president; 'Aminiasi Kefu an Amicus Curiae; and a representative of the International Rugby Board.

Siosaia said that the Committee will look at other matters but they will focus on hundreds of thousands of pa'anga that have been drawn from the account of the Union but were not accounted for.

CEO's Report

In his CEO's report to the AGM on December 21 2007, he reminded member that between 2003 and 2006, a total of $513,831 went missing and was not accounted for.

• During 2003-04, $218,824 was not accounted for.
• During 2004-05, $155,379 was not accounted for.
• During 2005-06 $139,628 was not accounted for.

He also pointed out that the Board with himself as the CEO took over the running of the TRFU in 2006 so he was more concerned with the $139,628 that was not accounted for during 2005-06.

Members of the Board who took over the running of the TRFU in 2006 are, Sangstar Saulala, Tevita Tu'i Uata, Peseti Ma'afu, Tali Kavapalu, Pasi Manako and 'Ulu Palelei.

Siosaia said he was recruited as a CEO for the TRFU in September 2006.

He said there was much enthusiasm to get the TRFU to run properly, because the new Board took over under the banner that they would run the TRFU more efficiently and do away with the suspicion that board members had misappropriated TRFU funds.

But what Siosaia presented in his report to the AGM was the opposite.

Missing income

He said that $36,000 that was raised from the public and the Tonga National Business Association in early 2006 could not be found in the accounts of the TRFU, along with the entrance fees to Teufaiva Stadium during the Pacific Rugby Cup tournament last year, which were not accounted for.

He also reported that $50,000 was withdrawn from the bank account of the TRFU in August last year without the knowledge of the CEO or the Board.

He also reported that while he was away in New Zealand toward the end of last year, he was suspended as the CEO, but on his return he discovered that $100,000 had been withdrawn from the account of the TRFU, and was unaccounted for.

Siosaia said that a meeting of the TRFU had been scheduled for March and if the Committee of Inquiry had completed their investigation, then the TRFU would make a decision on what to do next with their findings.