Sua Rimoni Ah Chong
Encyclopedia
Su'a Rimoni Ah Chong is a Samoa
n politician and former Controller and Chief Auditor of Samoa
. He currently served as the leader of Samoa Party
.. As the Controller and Chief Auditor, Su'a Rimoni's efforts gained struggle against government corruption
in Samoa earned him international notability.
From 1992 to 1995 he refused to authorise illegal payments to Cabinet Ministers as Controller and Chief Auditor. In 1994 he tabled an Annual Report to Parliament which revealed wide scale corruption in the HRPP government under Tofilau Eti Alesana
. The report implicated six out of 13 ministers in improper activities and payments. The government's response was to set up a Commission of Inquiry to discredit the Report.
The Commission looked not into the irregularities, but into the Chief Auditor himself. Included among the committee's members were several individuals criticised in his report.
In July 1995 The government suspended Sua. He then sued the government stating that under the constitution the Controller and Chief Auditor is only answerable to Parliament. As such the HRPP changed the Constitution making the position a Cabinet appointment and sacking Su'a in the process.
Previously the position of Controller
and Chief Auditor (a Constitutional Officer) was like that of the Chief Justice, an appointment for life. Being responsible to parliament the CCA could only be removed from office by Parliament. Following the amendment the position is a Cabinet appointment for a term of two years and can be sacked by the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
The whole scandal brought Samoa into international scrutiny and questioned its commitment to good governance
, as well as democracy
and responsible government.
For his efforts, Su'a Rimoni was awarded the Transparency International's Integrity Awards in May 2003. The annual integrity awards recognize the courage of individuals and organizations fighting corruption.
Su'a Rimoni is of Chinese-Samoan
heritage.
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
n politician and former Controller and Chief Auditor of Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
. He currently served as the leader of Samoa Party
Samoa Party
The Samoa Party was a small party of Samoa. The party was founded in September 2005 by former auditor-general Su'a Rimoni Ah Chong on a platform to restore the primacy of parliament. During the most recent elections on 2 April 2006, it didn't secure a seat....
.. As the Controller and Chief Auditor, Su'a Rimoni's efforts gained struggle against government corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
in Samoa earned him international notability.
From 1992 to 1995 he refused to authorise illegal payments to Cabinet Ministers as Controller and Chief Auditor. In 1994 he tabled an Annual Report to Parliament which revealed wide scale corruption in the HRPP government under Tofilau Eti Alesana
Tofilau Eti Alesana
Tofilau Eti Alesana, AC, born Aualamalefalelima Alesana, was a Samoan politician. He was born in Vaitogi, Tutuila, American Samoa to a Samoan upper-class parents, Reverend James Alesana Fai'ivae and Vaoita Iosefa Mala'itai...
. The report implicated six out of 13 ministers in improper activities and payments. The government's response was to set up a Commission of Inquiry to discredit the Report.
The Commission looked not into the irregularities, but into the Chief Auditor himself. Included among the committee's members were several individuals criticised in his report.
In July 1995 The government suspended Sua. He then sued the government stating that under the constitution the Controller and Chief Auditor is only answerable to Parliament. As such the HRPP changed the Constitution making the position a Cabinet appointment and sacking Su'a in the process.
Previously the position of Controller
Comptroller
A comptroller is a management level position responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of an organization.In British government, the Comptroller General or Comptroller and Auditor General is in most countries the external auditor of the budget execution of the...
and Chief Auditor (a Constitutional Officer) was like that of the Chief Justice, an appointment for life. Being responsible to parliament the CCA could only be removed from office by Parliament. Following the amendment the position is a Cabinet appointment for a term of two years and can be sacked by the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
The whole scandal brought Samoa into international scrutiny and questioned its commitment to good governance
Good governance
Good governance is an indeterminate term used in development literature to describe how public institutions conduct public affairs and manage public resources in order to guarantee the realization of human rights. Governance describes "the process of decision-making and the process by which...
, as well as democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
and responsible government.
For his efforts, Su'a Rimoni was awarded the Transparency International's Integrity Awards in May 2003. The annual integrity awards recognize the courage of individuals and organizations fighting corruption.
Su'a Rimoni is of Chinese-Samoan
Chinese in Samoa
The majority of Chinese nationals currently residing in Samoa are expatriate businessmen Samoa, and there are at least 3000 people in Samoa who are of mixed Samoan and Chinese descent, although they are classified as ethnic Samoans in official census. Around the world, about 25% of all Samoans...
heritage.