SNPF exposed to legal action for unlawful leakage of confidential loan information

By Lance Polu/

Apia, SAMOA – 07 March 2024 –The leakage of confidential information and details of the $67milion tala loans and its clients that were disclosed in a local newspaper has exposed the Samoa National Provident Fund to legal action.

According to sources, the SNPF Board’s major concern is that the unlawful leak of confidential information relating to its clients loans has exposed the Fund to potential lawsuits from its clients.

Talamua understands that the Board has acted to rectify what it considers an “even greater problem” than the letter of concern by its management staff.

The Fund has written explanatory letters to six clients whose names and loan details were disclosed unlawfully by the newspaper and has also instructed Legal Counsel to seek legal redress against the newspaper for breach of confidentiality.

Sources also said that the confidential information of the 6 approved loans totalling $67 million tala and the names of the clients was prepared by the Funds Manager of Lending in response to an email request from the Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Finance Committee.

Sources say the action by the Funds senior management who prepared and sent the confidential information, did not have an appreciation of the risk of exposing the Fund to potential legal action by giving the confidential information to the Parliamentary Committee.

The action allegedly breaches the SNPF Manual of Instructions 2019.

Talamua understands that under the SNPF Act, a Grievance Committee was set up to investigate the concerns raised in a letter by the management staff and is also investigating the source of the leakage and charges will be laid for breaches of the Funds Manual of Instructions and Code of Conduct.  Their report has been submitted to the Minister of Finance and copied the Prime Minister and the Minister of Public Enterprises.

The management staff’s letter of concern was directed at the Board Chairman, Papalii Panoa Tavita Moala who stepped aside from the Grievance Committees inquiry into the matters raised by the staff.