Tearful transport secretary apologises to families of Ashika victims [1]
Thursday, February 11, 2010 - 23:45. Updated on Friday, May 9, 2014 - 20:37.
Transport Secretary 'Eleni Mone giving evidence at the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the sinking of the Ashika today, broke down in tears and apologised to everyone particularly the families of the Ashika victims for her failure and her inaction to query vital matters in relation to the vessel.
On being questioned by the Counsel Assisting Manuel Varitimos she was asked on what she thought was the cause of the disaster. She said it was a poor combination of many factors ranging from the Ashika captain to crew, the operator namely the Shipping Corporation of Polynesia Ltd., the Ministry of Transport staff, the Acting Director of Marine Viliami Tu'ipultou who allowed the unseaworthy vessel to sail, and herself because she was not taking a proactive role by not asking questions.
She agreed with counsel that it was a systematic failure as well as individual failure.
The Transport Secretary also agreed that the Laws of Tonga particularly the Shipping Act and Regulations needed to be complied with in order to protect the safety of people travelling on ships.
In response to a question on what she recommended in order for Tonga Maritime to move forward, she said there needed to be radical changes to the Marine Department hence to bring expert staff from overseas.
She accepted that the Marine Division had been run down over the years and the benchmark needed to be lifted and asserted that she has frustrations in all divisions of the Transport and she needed qualified leaders to make the Transport work, she said.
Cross examined
On being cross-examined by Soane Foliaki, the counsel acting for Salesi Havili who died in the Ashika sinking, she agreed that as Secretary she worked closely with the former Minister Karalus.
"But you were left out of the loop?" he asked. 'Eleni said, yes, and added that she was sometimes not happy with it, but she on the hand never raised it with him.
"With the Sale and Purchase Agreement the name of the Secretary of Finance was crossed out by the former Minister Paul Karalus?" he said, and 'Eleni agreed.
"Normally when you are given a legal document you would want to properly read it before signing it. Did you have any gut feeling that you needed to take time to read the agreement properly?" said the counsel. 'Eleni said she did not because at the time she thought everything was in order.
Due Diligence
The counsel put to her that given this is a major acquisition for Government the issue of due diligence was important, and she agreed.
"You assumed due diligence had been done?" She said yes, and she thought that the Minister did it and she thought all of this was all taken care of.
"I put to you that is a very foolish assumption as something significant as purchasing a vessel," said the counsel, but she said no, not at the time.
"You were the Secretary-CEO and you signed the document that immediately paid for the Ashika it did not ring any bells to check whether due diligence was done?" he said.
'Eleni said not at that stage as she was under the impression that the former Minister did it.
"What gave you that impression?" asked the counsel.
'Eleni said by the fact that the former Minister showed her a picture of the vessel, and that he had told her he had spoken to the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance about it. "I thought that by discussing it at that level, everything was already taken care of," she said.
'Eleni has been working with the Transport since October 2008.