The Fa’atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (F.A.S.T.) Treasurer, Leatinuu Wayne Fong has hit back at criticisms by their rivals in regards to the party seeking funds for legal fees, saying it is none of their concern. 

Leatinuu, who is the elect Member of Parliament for Faleata No.2 said the $1.6 million raised and collected by their supporter groups, mainly from overseas, was meant to be spent. 

"We’re not a bank,” he said. 

“We are not a financial institution where the funds are meant to be stored when they are sent over by supporters. 

“Our supporters did not send it over for us to save; they sent it for us to implement all of our plans ahead of the General Elections which is where the $1.6 million came in.

“All these funds that were handed over to us were never meant to be saved for anyone, but to make sure what we had dreamt about came true, including the roadshow.” 

He added the results of the General Election speak to the party’s campaigning, made possible by the $1.6 million funded by the F.A.S.T. supporter groups. 

“When this party was just formed, Laauli, Olo, and I discussed a plan in order to build this political party; there were so many facets we looked at, especially the roadshow plan,” said Leatinuu. 

“After we had laid out the roadshow plan, we looked at each other and thought to ourselves, where are we going to get the money? 

“We knew we had to come up with an idea on how to raise funds, but we never thought we would raise this much.” 

Leatinuu noted that while F.A.S.T. acted on funds from their supporters, the caretaker Government, the Human Rights Protection Party (H.R.P.P.) has been using a fund allocated to registered political parties recognised in Parliament. 

(As the H.R.P.P. were the only recognised political party during the previous Parliamentary term, they were entitled to the fund, per House Standing Orders.)  

“Good on the H.R.P.P. they have a constant inflow of funds from their contracts, their birthday celebrations, as well as those in Government, they receive a lot of money,” he said. 

“Remember they receive $250,000 a year as the lone official political party from the Government especially in the last five years.

Last year, the Government Press Secretariat issued a statement regarding the annual fund, confirming that the allocation is $200,000 per year and that for 2020/2021 Financial Year, the $200,000 was reabsorbed back in to the budget to assist with its Covid-19 response.

At the time, the H.R.P.P. Treasurer, Aliimalemanu Alofa Tuuau told this newspaper that the party used the funding in the past as donations to the Home of the Elderly at Mapuifagalele, rugby incentives and others; and a portion was used for party operations and any other activity that the executive approves of.

For the F.A.S.T. Treasurer, their party's usage of donated funds from their supporters is justified, with the election results speaking for themselves. 

“So when it was time to act on our plans, we asked the public for their assistance and that’s where F.A.S.T. support groups started in different countries," said Leatinuu. 

“And when funds started to come in with the spirit of the country to change the Government, the F.A.S.T. used it to execute every plan we had in preparation for the election.” 

“What was the result? Well we all saw the election result; 26 [F.A.S.T.] against 25 [H.R.P.P.]. If we had saved the money rather than not implementing our plans, I believe the overseas supporters would have raised concerns about it." 

Last week, this newspaper reported that F.A.S.T. was once again seeking financial donations from their supporters for legal fees connected to their election petitions. 

The party has been sending out letters to the different constituencies in the country and our local community as well as their supporters overseas. 

This was followed by a call out by the H.R.P.P. telling the public to choose leaders that are able to use their money wisely, questioning where the F.A.S.T.’s $1.6 million had gone within the span of four weeks. 

In a previous interview with the Samoa Observer, Leatinuu clarified that the total $1.6 million was the total funds collected by the party since its establishment last year with some additional $250,000 plus from their official fundraising event in March this year. However, the March radiothon and telethon event was a chance for the party to acknowledge all the donations that have been made to the party’s cause. 

“People still contribute; the same people that donated from F.A.S.T. support groups, from Alaska, in the whole of America, from California all the way up to New York, especially in Hawaii and American Samoa; also New Zealand and Australia,” he said.

Leatinuu said the funds have been used for signage, banners, posters, their website, and the bulk of it for their countrywide roadshow. 

“I think the bulk of the money went to the roadshow,” he said. 

“Our transportation, to Savai’i and around Savai’i, and also around Upolu, as well as our camera crew – those who we employed to take care of our media duties.” 

“Party funds also covered the legal fees of candidates who were subject to legal challenges,” Faumuina said. 

He added audited accounts would be submitted as required under the law.