View source for Sua Rimoni Ah Chong

{{Short description|Samoan politician}}
'''Su'a Rimoni Ah Chong''' (born c. 1954) is a [[Samoa]]n politician and former [[Comptroller|Controller]] and Chief Auditor of [[Samoa]].<ref name="CourtOfAppealCase">{{cite court|url=http://www.paclii.org/ws/cases/WSCA/1996/2.html|litigants=Ah Chong v Legislative Assembly of Western Samoa|vol={{bracket|1996}}|reporter=WSCA|opinion=2|date=17 September 1996||access-date=2017-12-17|quote=The plaintiff in the Supreme Court proceedings from which this appeal arises was appointed in March 1992 (the date given in his statement of claim) as Controller and Chief Auditor in the service of Western Samoa. ... The plaintiff was about 38 years of age at the time of his appointment.}}</ref> He was the leader of the [[Samoa Party]].<ref name="RNZI_39472">{{cite news |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/pacific/176865/land-reform-bill-not-samoan,-says-samoa-party |title=Land Reform Bill not Samoan, says Samoa Party |date=30 April 2008 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]] |access-date=10 December 2020}}</ref> As the Controller and Chief Auditor, Su'a Rimoni's efforts against government [[Political corruption|corruption]] in Samoa earned him international notability.

From 1992 to 1995 he refused to authorise illegal payments to Cabinet Ministers as Controller and Chief Auditor. In 1994 he tabled an Annual Report to Parliament that revealed wide-scale corruption in the [[Human Rights Protection Party]] (HRPP) government under [[Tofilau Eti Alesana]]. The report implicated six out of 13 ministers in improper activities and payments. The government's response was to set up a Commission of Inquiry to discredit the Report.

The Commission looked not into the irregularities, but into the Chief Auditor himself. Included among the committee's members were several individuals criticised in his report.

In July 1995 the government suspended Sua. He then sued the Attorney General and the Legislative Assembly, stating that they had acted unlawfully by referring his report to the Commission of Inquiry instead of the Public Accounts Committee, and in particular that the former had violated Article 99 of the Constitution.<ref name="CourtOfAppealCase"/><ref name="SupremeCourtCase">{{cite court|url=http://www.paclii.org/ws/cases/WSSC/1996/3.html|litigants=Ah Chong v Legislative Assembly of Western Samoa|vol={{bracket|1996}}|reporter=WSSC|opinion=3|date=23 January 1996|access-date=2017-12-17}}</ref> As such in 1997 the HRPP amended the Constitution to make the Controller and Chief Auditor appointed for a term of three years, and to permit his removal upon motion of the government and a simple majority vote by Parliament.<ref>{{cite book|chapter-url=http://www.paclii.org/ws/legis/num_act/caa11997295/|chapter=Constitution Amendment Act (No 1) 1997|title=Samoa Sessional Legislation|publisher=Pacific Legal Information Institute|access-date=2017-12-17}}</ref> Prior to this amendment the position of Controller and Chief Auditor was like that of the [[Chief Justice of Samoa|Chief Justice]], an appointment with [[life tenure]] until the age of 60 with the threshold for removal being a two-thirds vote of parliament.<ref name="CourtOfAppealCase"/><ref name="SupremeCourtCase"/>

The whole scandal brought Samoa into international scrutiny and questioned its commitment to [[good governance]], as well as [[democracy]] and responsible government.

For his efforts, Su'a Rimoni was awarded the Transparency International's Integrity Awards in May 2003.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/143612/former-samoan-auditor-wins-ti-integrity-award |title=Former Samoan auditor wins TI Integrity Award |publisher=[[RNZ]] |date=16 May 2003 |access-date=10 December 2020}}</ref> The annual integrity awards recognize the courage of individuals and organizations fighting corruption.

In September 2005 Ah Chong founded the [[Samoa Party]] on a platform of restoring the independence of watchdog institutions such as the Auditor-General.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/157615/former-samoan-auditor-general-aims-to-lead-new-party-into-parliament |title=Former Samoan auditor general aims to lead new party into parliament |publisher=[[RNZ]] |date=20 September 2005 |access-date=10 December 2020}}</ref> During the [[2006 Samoan general election]], it did not secure any seats.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/161219/samoa-ruling-party-returned-to-office-in-weekend-election |title=Samoa ruling party returned to office in weekend election |publisher=[[RNZ]] |date=3 April 2006 |access-date=10 December 2020}}</ref> Following the election, Ah Chong was banished from his village for filing an election petition against winning candidate [[Mulitalo Siafausa Vui]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/163449/leader-of-samoa-party-banished-from-his-village |title=Leader of Samoa Party banished from his village |publisher=[[RNZ]] |date=19 July 2006 |access-date=10 December 2020}}</ref> The ban was subsequently overturned by the [[Supreme Court of Samoa]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/163899/samoa-supreme-court-overturns-village-council-ban |title=Samoa Supreme Court overturns village council ban |publisher=[[RNZ]] |date=9 August 2006 |access-date=10 December 2020}}</ref> but this was ignored by the village council.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/164002/samoan-village-matai-reject-court-instruction-to-lift-ban-on-politician |title=Samoan village matai reject court instruction to lift ban on politician |publisher=[[RNZ]] |date=14 August 2006 |access-date=10 December 2020}}</ref> When his election petition was successful,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/164112/samoa-supreme-court-declare-void-two-parliamentary-seats |title=Samoa Supreme Court declare void two parliamentary seats |publisher=[[RNZ]] |date=17 August 2006 |access-date=10 December 2020}}</ref> Ah Chong's house was burned down,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/164155/family-home-of-samoa-party-leader-destroyed-by-fire |title=Family home of Samoa Party leader destroyed by fire |publisher=[[RNZ]] |date=19 August 2006 |access-date=10 December 2020}}</ref> and the government brought criminal charges of bribery and treating against him.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/164227/bribery-charges-laid-against-samoan-election-candidate |title=Bribery charges laid against Samoan election candidate |publisher=[[RNZ]] |date=23 August 2006 |access-date=10 December 2020}}</ref> He was subsequently convicted of bribery for giving a member of his extended family a new TV set.,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/164968/samoa-party-leader-su'a-guilty-of-bribery |title=Samoa Party leader Su'a guilty of bribery |publisher=[[RNZ]] |date=27 September 2006 |access-date=10 December 2020}}</ref> and returned his Transparency International Award.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/165059/leader-of-samoa-party-to-return-transparency-award |title=Leader of Samoa Party to return Transparency award |publisher=[[RNZ]] |date=2 October 2006 |access-date=10 December 2020}}</ref>

In 2011 he ran as a candidate for the [[Tautua Samoa Party]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/194668/tautua-samoa-party-announces-election-candidates |title=Tautua Samoa party announces election candidates |publisher=[[RNZ]] |date=7 January 2011 |access-date=10 December 2020}}</ref>

Su'a Rimoni is of [[Chinese in Samoa|Chinese-Samoan]] heritage.<ref>''[[Pacific Islands Monthly|Pacific Islands Monthly: PIM]]''., published by Pacific Publications., 2000, pg 25</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070712122500/http://www.transparency.org/news_room/award/integrity_awards/integrity_award_winners/winners_2003 Integrity awards]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080322112246/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2375/is_n1_v32/ai_19898543 Dragons in little paradise: Chinese fortunes in Samoa, 1900-1950]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ah Chong, Sua Rimoni}}
[[Category:1950s births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Samoan people of Chinese descent]]
[[Category:Samoan chiefs]]
[[Category:21st-century Samoan politicians]]
[[Category:Tautua Samoa Party politicians]]
[[Category:Samoan politicians convicted of crimes]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]