Aging body

American Samoa

Aging body under investigation

The American Samoan government’s White Collar Crime Task Force has targeted the Territorial Administration on Aging (TAOA) for a criminal investigation.

Acting commissioner of public safety Mike Sala has confirmed the probe which was personally ordered by Governor A P Lutali. Sala says the probe relates to a “possible misappropriation of funds and criminal violations”.

The criminal probe was prompted as a result of discrepancies discovered by TAOA director Fuiavailili Mata’u Taele. Since January , TAOA has been preparing a total of 2,700 $25 food vouchers each month. But in two-week period, 485 vouchers had not been collected. Between September and December last year, TAOA was issuing more than 2700 food vouchers each month and all were picked up.

The TAOA director suspects the unclaimed vouchers are for “ghost recipients” or senior citizens who have passed away but were claimed by others.

Meanwhile US federal agencies have places TAOA under probation, a status which will be reviewed when the new fiscal year commences on October 1. In the last four years, TAOA has reportedly accumulated an overrun of close to US$2 million.