Peseta Vaifou Tevaga Explained

Peseta Vaifou Tevaga
Constituency Mp15:Faasaleleaga No. 5
Parliament15:Samoa
Term Start15:4 March 2011
Predecessor15:Vui Tupe Ioane

Peseta Vaifou Tevaga (also known as Peseta Vaifou Tevagaena) is a Samoan politician and Member of the Legislative Assembly of Samoa. He is a member of the Human Rights Protection Party.

Tevaga is a former policeman and runs a construction business.[1] He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Samoa at the 2011 Samoan general election and appointed Associate Minister of Finance. In late 2011 he allegedly hit a disabled man while driving a government vehicle. He was subsequently charged with negligent driving causing injury,[2] but this was subsequently upgraded to dangerous driving causing death after the victim died.[3] The charge was dropped in August 2013 after key witnesses were unable to attend the hearing.[4] [5] In the interim he was sacked as Associate Finance Minister over concerns around conflicts of interest when tendering for government projects.[6] In August 2014 he was arrested and charged with drunk-driving after an accident involving a government vehicle.[7] In May 2015 he was convicted of dangerous driving over the incident and fined $100.[8]

Tevaga was re-elected in the 2016 election[9] and appointed Associate Minister for Prime Minister & Cabinet.[10] In October 2015, shortly before the election, he began a long-running legal dispute with fellow MP Laauli Leuatea Polataivao over a business they were partners in.[11] An investigation of his complaints by police resulted in Tevaga being charged with forgery and falsifying documents[12] over a share-transfer form.[13] The charges were dismissed in October 2016.[14] In 2017 he commenced legal proceedings against Polataivao, accusing him of dishonesty in managing the company.[15] [16] The civil claim was dismissed in November 2017.[17] Polataivao subsequently resigned from Cabinet after being charged with more than a hundred counts of forgery and theft;[18] he was acquitted of all charges in June 2020.[19]

In 2018 a company part-owned by Tevaga was awarded a $1.3 million contract to build an airport on Upolu.[20] [21] He denied any conflict of interest.[22]

Tevaga was re-elected in the 2021 election.[23]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Samoa MP denies in parliament involvement in public tender . RNZ . 19 June 2013 . 8 June 2021.
  2. Web site: Samoa associate minister to stand trial on negligent driving charge . RNZ . 3 February 2012 . 8 June 2021.
  3. Web site: Samoa associate minister to face serious traffic offence charge . RNZ . 14 March 2012 . 8 June 2021.
  4. Web site: Samoan Minister Cleared Of Charge In Fatal Car Accident . Pacific Islands Report . 29 August 2013 . 8 June 2021.
  5. Web site: Samoa MP walks free from road death case . RNZ . 27 August 2013 . 8 June 2021.
  6. Web site: Two associate finance ministers in Samoa dumped . RNZ . 21 May 2013 . 8 June 2021.
  7. Web site: Samoa Minister charged with drunk driving . RNZ . 13 August 2014 . 8 June 2021.
  8. Web site: Samoa MP guilty of dangerous driving . RNZ . 11 May 2015 . 8 June 2021.
  9. Web site: Peseta returns to serve his constituency . Pai Mulitalo Ale . Samoa Observer . 7 March 2016 . 8 June 2021.
  10. Web site: Samoa's former deputy PM left out . RNZ . 25 March 2016 . 8 June 2021.
  11. Web site: Samoa minister goes against speaker in a civil court fight . RNZ . 27 October 2015 . 8 June 2021.
  12. Web site: Samoa Associate Minister charged with forgery . RNZ . 27 November 2015 . 8 June 2021.
  13. Web site: Samoan minister testifes against cabinet colleague . RNZ . 28 September 2016 . 8 June 2021.
  14. Web site: Samoa associate minister not guilty of fraud and forgery . RNZ . 28 October 2016 . 8 June 2021.
  15. Web site: Samoa Associate Minister Sues Minister For $1.2 Million Over Business Dispute . Pacific Islands Report . 6 June 2017 . 8 June 2021.
  16. Web site: Samoa politician takes legal action over nonu juice business . RNZ . 19 January 2017 . 8 June 2021.
  17. Web site: Court rules in nonu Peseta’s civil claim . Samoa Observer . 30 November 2017 . 8 June 2021.
  18. Web site: Former Samoa govt minister and four others face 233 charges . RNZ . 11 October 2017 . 8 June 2021.
  19. Web site: Samoan MP found not guilty but media man guilty of forgery . RNZ . 27 June 2020 . 8 June 2021.
  20. Web site: Samoan minister involved with tender-winning company . RNZ . 25 September 2018 . 8 June 2021.
  21. Web site: Peseta a major shareholder in company that won Airport contract . Joyetter Feagaimaali’i-Luamanu . Samoa Observer . 25 September 2018 . 8 June 2021.
  22. Web site: Samoa MP denies conflict of interest over tender process . RNZ . 4 October 2018 . 8 June 2021.
  23. Web site: FAST Ushers In More New MPs Than HRPP . Newsline Samoa . 11 April 2021 . 30 May 2021.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Peseta Vaifou Tevaga".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.