30 Jan 2013

Owner of Niue church believes executive covering MP's secrets

3:25 pm on 30 January 2013

The owner of the land and building occupied by the Hikutavake Ekalesia Church in Niue claims the church's executive is helping to cover up the local Member of Parliament's secrets.

The owner or leveki of the church, Lalomanogi Togiakona, has filed legal action against the village MP Opili Talafasi for shutting the congregation out of the building last year.

Mrs Togiakona's daughter Pamela Falani says her mother has failed to win support in her fight to get answers to why the church was closed and believes the executive is working against her.

"They are trying to support the MP Talafasi because they know he's got heaps of problems and they are trying to support and cover him. Because my mother's going to bring everything out, what he did in church and all the money that has been gone and everything has been barely done. And she said she has grown old in the Ekalesia and this is the time for her to fight."

Pamela Falani says Mr Talafasi has now reopened the church building but her mother has filed a case against him for shutting it last year.