Commission files misconduct charges against C.E.O.

By Joyetter Feagaimaali’i 01 March 2019, 12:00AM

The Public Service Commission (P.S.C.) has filed “misconduct” charges against the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Justice and Courts Administration, Papali’i John Taimalelagi. 

A confidential P.S.C. letter dated February 26, 2019 and signed by the P.S.C. Chairman Aiono Mose Sua – which was addressed to the Chief Executive officer/Registrar of the Ministry of Justice and Courts Administration – confirmed that the charges were served on the C.E.O. February 25, 2019. 

The letter does not give details of the misconduct charges against the C.E.O. 

Repeated attempts by the Samoa Observer to get a comment from Papali’i have been unsuccessful.

In the letter, Aiono advised that the Commission decided to “decline” his request for 21 days, to prepare his response to the misconduct charges. 

“The Commission considered your request and decided to decline the extension of 21 days. Instead, the Commission has approved an additional seven days, which gives you 14 days to prepare your response to the charges.” 

Under the normal P.S.C. process, officers are given seven days to admit or deny the charges.

Aiono said in the event the charges were denied, a full investigation would commence. 

“At the completion of the investigation, the Commission Delegate is required to provide you with the full evidence for your response. 

“You will be then given 14 days to respond to the full evidence. Upon receipt of your response on the full evidence, the Commission will consider your response and the full evidence gathered to determine if the charges have been proven or not.

“Given that the maximum number of days under the process is 14 days, the Commission cannot exceed the timeframe of 14 days for any responses under the process,” Aiono wrote in his letter.  

The P.S.C. chairman added that the deadline for the charges are now 5.00pm March 12, 2019. 

By Joyetter Feagaimaali’i 01 March 2019, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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