SPBD suspends four officers as an internal investigation is in progress

By Staff Reporters/

Apia, SAMOA – 08 July 2024 – Three officers from the Finance Department and one from Operations have been suspended from the South Pacific Business Development (SPBD) following alleged $13m discrepancies surfaced as reported by Talamua a week ago.

The discrepancies resulted in SPBD cancelling its Annual Women in Business Awards that was scheduled for the 20^th and 21^st June 2024 and loans to women members have been withheld as an internal investigation is in progress.

SPBD Chief Finance visit Apia office
Last month, the SPBD Head of Operations in the United States visited the Apia office.

The following week, SPBD’s Head of Finance accompanied by an Information & Technology (IT) officer also visited the Apia office.

Sources said it was after these visits that the call to cancel the annual celebration was made and prompted SPBD’s owner Greg Casagrande to visit Samoa.

Termination & resignation
While in Apia on his way to Fiji, Sources says Casagrande called a staff meeting where he informed the staff that the General Manager had been fired.

According to Sources, the General Manager was fired prior to the staff meeting and a few days later, two managers of different divisions resigned.

Sources further stated that the staff were also informed that a new managerial team will be recruited from other SPBD branches in the Pacific. As of this story, officers from other SPBD centres around the Pacific have already taken up senior managerial roles within the Samoa SPBD operation.

Cancelling the Annual Awards has disappointed several women members.

“I do not know why but it was disappointing as we were looking forward to it and we were prepared for the event,” a member told Talamua.

Members of another Centre are questioning why Samoa’s event was cancelled and yet, all other SPBD Centres in the Pacific had their celebrations with Tonga as the most recent.

“We always look forward to this event because this is where our efforts as small business women are recognised,” said another disappointed member.

SPBD is known for staging the spectacular annual event where Centres take part in a competitive spirit. In colourful attires, women take part in the noisy parade down Beach Road stopping traffic in their wake. The celebrations highlight is the prize giving for Best Centre, Best Businesswomen and a variety of other awards.

Last week, officials from the SPBD main office visited and met with members of different Family Centres around the country where members were told that loans were being withheld temporarily. The members also asked about why the annual event has been cancelled and about the reported $13m discrepancy.