Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Senate Select Investigative Committee held a hearing this past Friday where the manager of the Survey Division, Amesone Laulu testified, and the media was banned from entering the Fono chambers.

“This hearing is a closed door hearing and the media are not allowed,” SSIC Chairman, Togiola T. A. Tulafono told Samoa News reporters.

The hearing focused on the survey of the Nu’u fou land consisting of over 400 acres that was conducted by Laulu. The survey has the seal of the American Samoa Government Manager’s certificate on it.

The survey of the Nu’ufou land was at the center of criticism by the public, which led to the hearings before the SSIC starting in July this year. However, at the time Laulu was overseas when he was first subpoenaed to testify on the issue. 

As reported earlier, chairman of the Senate Public Works Committee, Senator Satele Aliitasi Lili’o said the land in question was surveyed in an effort to privatize these lands for individuals and “it’s quite saddening how it was carried out.”

 A notice of registration was posted in the names of Mauga Tasi Asuega, Laulii Alofa, Michael T. Fuiavai; Patolo Mageo and others as “individually owned land” encompassing close to 400 acres.

However that notice was withdrawn by the Office of the Territorial Registrar in late July.

The withdrawal notice cited the registration’s “failure to comply with the territory’s land registration statute, A.S.C.A. Sections 37.0101 et seq.”

This is outlined in a letter signed by the Territorial Registrar, Divine Iuli-Falaniko and addressed to Samoa News marketing manager, Heavenly Letuli.

 “I write to withdraw the prior request by the Office of the Territorial Register to publish notices regarding the proposed registration of certain lots of the land “Nuu Fou” as individually owned land.

 “After further review of the proposed land registration paperwork that was filed by the applicants on June 13, 2022, and upon consultation with the office of the attorney general, I have determined that the above referenced land registration offers are deficient for failure to comply with the territory’s land registration statue, A.S.C.A. Sections 37.0101 et seq.

 “Any registration of land not performed in accordance with statutory procedure is void. Accordingly, the office of territorial registrar is unable to consider or move forward with the above referenced land registration offers.

 “The applicants have separately been advised of the same,” said Iuli-Falaniko.

 “In light of these developments, I respectfully request that no further notices regarding the above referenced land registration offers be published in Samoa News.”

BACKGROUND

Samoa News earlier obtained a copy of the survey and description, which cites close to 400 acres of land was surveyed by Laulu in a subdivision of land called Nu’u Fou.

The map in question has the seal of the American Samoa Government Manager’s certificate.

It says in the village Aasu, there are 83.75 acres claimed by Fuiava and others; 132.19 acres claimed by Mageo Patolo in Aasu; 107.78 acres claimed by Laulii in the village of Malaeimi and 68.32 acres claimed by Mauga in Fagasa village.

The survey was registered on April 20, 2022.