27 Oct 2009

Samoa's Tuilaepa dismisses claims aid is not not getting through

12:06 pm on 27 October 2009

Samoa's Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, says there is no truth to claims tsunami aid isn't getting through to those who need it.

The Deputy Mayor of Porirua in New Zealand, Litea Ah Hoi, who has returned from visiting Samoa's devastated south coast, claims some people in villages affected by last month's tsunami aren't getting aid on a regular basis.

She says in one case a family had gone without any government aid for more than a week.

But Tuilaepa says investigations have found nothing to back up claims aid is either not getting to people, or is being sold off.

He says he blames the Samoan media for misleading people.

"I have been telling the newspapers that they have not been honest with their reporting, they should go to the source of the story and verify it from there."

Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, the Samoa Prime Minister.