Breaking News: CNN Reports American Samoa Under FBI Investigation For Squandered Tsunami Warning Funds

Click here for Updated Story: Interview with Director of American Samoa Homeland Security ; Tsunami Data analysed

[tweetmeme] Latest Update 4.34pm (NZTime)

We have now received a reply from Mike Sala, American Samoa’s Homeland Security Director, on behalf of the Governor. Will be posted shortly.

Latest update: Friday 29th October.

Expected to interview one of the officials from American Samoa’s Governor’s Office: We were told yesterday via email from Mike Sala, American Samoa’s Homeland Security Director (who replaced whistleblower Leiataua Birdie Ala’ilima) that he would be speaking on behalf of the Governor. But as of this afternoon, still no interview and no response to questions. This afternoon, communications with Mike Sala has turned into an email merry-go-round.

In the end, no actual answers to any of our questions from Mike Sala, who is American Samoa’s Homeland Security Director. Pointless calling Mr Sala on his telephone, which he gave to us via email. Today it goes straight to voicemail. No replies to our voicemail. But he is replying to emails without actually answering any questions.  Complete silence from the Governor’s Communications Director Dr Jacinta Galeai. More to come on the Governor’s office and his non-responsive officials.

This is not good enough for people who are accountable to the people of American Samoa. They are tax-payer funded. Given the tragedy of last month, the very, very least they can do is respond to questions. That’s our view.

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No response as yet from the Governor’s Office. American Samoa’s Homeland Security Director Mike Sala initially indicated by email that he would be available for an interview with pacificEyeWitness.org. Today no response on his telephone line. No response either from the Governor’s Communications Director Dr Jacinta Galeai,

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CNN is screening a report tonight on American television after investigating allegations of misused funds by American Samoa’s (Tutuila) administration. Since 2003, CNN says American Samoa took in almost $13 million of federal funds for disaster preparedness. What makes this more disturbing is that part of that preparedness included the installation of a tsunami warning system. It was never installed. Not one in across all of Tutuila.

Then in the early morning of Tuesday 29th September 2009, an 8.3 magnitude earthquake shook American Samoa, Samoa, and Niuatoputapu, triggering a tsunami that officially killed 34 people in American Samoa, over 140 in Samoa and 9 on Niuatoputapu. Hundreds have been left injured, thousands are now homeless, destitute, and many orphaned.

CNN is calling the loss of lives of Tuesday 29th September, “a man-made tragedy”.

So where did all that money go? According to the report, it was spent by the Governor’s office.  The United States regarded American Samoa as “high risk” when it came to federal funds. As a result, the United States Department of the Interior, which oversees Tutuila, withheld further funds as a result.

If this CNN investigation proves those funds were not used for disaster preparedness,  does this Governor and his administration have blood on their hands? You be the judge.

We’ve been in touch with American Samoa’s Governor’s Office earlier today. Homeland Security Director for the island will be speaking on behalf of the Governor. We have sent a list of questions and are awaiting his response.

CNN Report

Pago Pago, American Samoa (CNN) — When an earthquake-triggered tsunami cascaded into this tiny island in late September, the result was 34 lives lost and untold millions in property damage. But a CNN investigation to air on tonight’s “AC 360” has uncovered an array of unsettling facts that point to a single conclusion: this natural disaster was in many ways a man-made tragedy.

Public records show that the Department of Homeland Security had awarded millions of federal dollars in grants for disaster preparedness here, including the construction of an island-wide siren warning system. But all the federal funding was frozen in early 2007 after DHS inspectors found that the local American Samoan government had been diverting millions of those dollars for its own uses….

The United States Interior Department as its Insular Affairs office has federal administrative responsibility for the island.

Click here to read more and watch video

A two part investigation

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