Samoa’s immigration chief denies claim
Apia: The Head of Samoa Immigration, Agafili Shem Leo, has rejected claims that his Office had been notified about the alleged sale of Samoan passports online earlier this year.
The chief executive officer of the Ministry of Prime Minister and Cabinet in response to questions from the Sunday Samoan rubbished claims his office was informed as early as May.
“These allegations were not reported to me as Head of the Ministry back in May,” he told the Sunday Samoan in an email.
“It only came to my attention when my Press and Communications Division forwarded an email inquiring about this matter when I was on duty travel on September 22, 2017. “Swift action was immediately taken against these allegations upon my return to Samoa on the 25th September in accordance with the law. This had led to the investigation that is currently on going.”
But a reliable source said the Immigration office might have been alerted to the situation at the beginning of 2017.
The source said the information, however, was relayed senior Immigration officials until the matter was queried by the Samoa Observer.
“The complaint came to the office in May, 2017 yet the officials were only informed when Samoa Observer sent over an email containing copies of the passport that was (allegedly) sold online,” the source said.