SSIC hold closed door hearing into $6.35 million Talofa pass contract

The Senate Select Investigative Committee held a closed-door hearing on Wednesday. This is pertaining to their ongoing investigation into the awarding of a $6.35 million, three-year contract for the TALOFAPass to DataHouse Consulting Inc.

Senate President Tuaolo Manaia Fruean told KVZK the request for a closed hearing came from the Attorney General’s office representing Chief Procurement Officer Ti’alemasunu Dr Mikaele Etuale who appeared to testify.

According to the Senate President, Deputy Attorney General Roy Hall Jr and his colleague Assistant Attorney General James Miller made the request to the Chairman of the SSIC, Senator Togiola T. A. Tulafono.

He made the call to close the hearing to the public.

Last year SSIC subpoenaed the Chief Procurement Officer however the American Samoa Government filed a motion to quash in part and comply in part with the Senate Select Investigative Committee’s (SSIC) ‘Subpoena Duces Tecum’ in regards to the TALOFAPass contract to the DataHouse Consulting Inc.

In November 2022 Ti'alemasunu appeared before the SSIC noting that a full report on the TALOFAPass procurement process was submitted to Deputy Attorney General Roy Hall to review whether there is privileged information that is not for public knowledge.