Samoan PM denies aid rort claims

Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said international aid was getting to those who needed it. Photo / Greg Bowker

Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi is rejecting claims of tsunami aid relief rorts, blaming journalists there for making up stories of corruption and aid diversion.

Porirua deputy mayor Litea Ah Hoi, who returned from Samoa on Saturday, said she had no doubt aid was being mismanaged by the government.

As well as money donated by the public, the New Zealand and Australia governments each gave $6.18 million to the Samoan government for recovery and reconstruction efforts.

Ms Ah Hoi said not only was aid being inefficiently distributed by local leaders, but she was certain some was being sold off in shops.

"People talk about it quite openly in Samoa, in the streets and the fales, but they won't speak out publicly over it, and that's one of the stories that has been relayed, that some of the trucks have been selling off to the shops," she told The Dominion Post.

However, Mr Malielegaoi said that international aid was getting to the people who needed it.

"Our media will print any story that anybody comes up with, and it is one of my contentions that our media should have come and analysed, followed up, the truth of these allegations," he said.

Kapiti psychologist Richard Sawrey, who returned this month from a two-week volunteer stint in Samoa, said the feeling on the ground was that the government was doing a good job.

"We have seen no evidence of mismanagement of aid or funds during our work," he said.

"The local village leaders that we were working with were doing all they could to distribute wisely to the affected families."

The New Zealand Red Cross said it was confident its supplies were finding their way to those in need.

"Samoa Red Cross, like New Zealand Red Cross, is a neutral, impartial relief agency and they work as an auxiliary to government but maintain their independence," international humanitarian programmes manager Glenn Rose told Radio New Zealand.

"Now what that means is all Red Cross aid being distributed to the affected communities is being delivered and recorded by Samoa Red Cross with no intermediaries either government or non-government."

Mr Rose said anyone who knew of areas which needed support should contact Samoa Red Cross.

- NZPA