(PINA/IFEX) – A woman journalist for American Samoa’s daily newspaper was slapped in the face by a former lawmaker who is now a government adviser to the territorial House of Representatives, the newspaper “Samoa News” alleged on 14 June 1999. The adviser, Gus Hannemann, was said to be upset because journalist Fili Sagapolutele reported that […]
(PINA/IFEX) – A woman journalist for American Samoa’s daily newspaper was
slapped in the face by a former lawmaker who is now a government adviser to
the territorial House of Representatives, the newspaper “Samoa News” alleged
on 14 June 1999. The adviser, Gus Hannemann, was said to be upset because
journalist Fili Sagapolutele reported that Hannemann is paid more than House
of Representatives members but spends a lot of time living in Hawaii.
Sagapolutele, a senior journalist with “Samoa News”, used government records
and information from the Legislative Finance Office to report that
Hannemann – the House Liaison for Government Affairs – got a US$5,000 pay
increase in mid-March. He now gets US$31,000 a year, which is more than the
21 members of the House of Representatives and also the 18 members of the
Senate, she reported.
The incident happened in a hallway of the legislative building, “Samoa News”
reported. The “Samoa News” also reported that two U.S.A. government
officials, who were in the territory for American Samoa’s minimum wage
hearings, witnessed it. The newspaper said its reporting of Hannemann’s
salary increase followed earlier criticism of the hiring of someone who did
not live in American Samoa.
“Samoa News” editor Scott McPhee said that any hostile act against a
reporter is unacceptable. “Our reporters are only doing their jobs. Public
information is just that – public. The public has the right to know how
every penny of their money is being spent and reporters have every right to
pursue that cause. We will continue to report salaries of all public
officials who are paid with taxpayer money.”
