PM questions why Fiame did not make a decision on Forensic Audit Report

By Lagi Keresoma/

Apia, Samoa – 21 November 2025: Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Schmidt is questioning why former Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa did not make a decision on the Forensic Audit report when it was tabled before them instead of claiming now that there is nothing of worth in it.

Asked by the media for an update on the forensic audit, the Prime Minister said that the report has been handed to the Minister of Audit, Pauga Talalelei Pauga for further assessment.

He said the feedback he got was that the report is too general and has not touched on what they expected the report to provide such as reasons behind unfinished projects, how the allocated funds to a project were utilised.

He also mentioned that the auditing was supposed to be conducted independently by the BDO company from New Zealand without the involvement of any local auditors.

The Forensic Audit initiated by the FAST Government when they took office in 2021.

Then Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa said that the forensic audit was necessary as there had been just a change of government after one party had been in power for a long time.
She said it was important for the new government to see where the major government infrastructure projects stand in moving forward.

Over $1m was allocated by Parliament for the audit and the report was presented to Fiame’s government after three years, but she did not act on it.

However, after the new government under Laauli’s leadership came in, she said in a TV interview that there was nothing of substance in the audit report.

“Why didn’t she say that and have her opinion included in the report when she was in Government but passed it to the next Government?” asked Laauli.
“I wished we came in and they had dealt with the report,” Laauli told the media.

He also pointed to further projects that should be under audit such as the Cross Island road at Tiavi-Siumu which cost $14 million for a 4 kilometers strip of road.

“Does it look like $14m dollar project to you?” he asked.

“That project is not in a good state, and we want to know how the funds were expended, was the project monitored and supervised. These are things we expect from such forensic audits.”

More than ten major projects under the HRPP Government were identified for the forensic audit. The Prime Minister said Cabinet will look at the report and make a decision on it.