October 17, 2007                                        News You Can Trust!!                                      Volume 7

TRFU's Board stand firm in fighting corruption and building accountability and transparency -

Hon. Tu'ivakano

Nuku'alofa -  Ex-members of the Board of TRFU and former signatories of their bank accounts (which included former CEO Sakopo Lolohea, Ricky Mafi, and Feleti Fatusia); whom also worked for the government Revenue Department and was paid by the former CEO as a board member to cook the accounting books before being sent to the auditors; teamed up with Noble Nuku, Noble Tu'ipelehake, Noble Tu'ivakano, as well as Sione Taumoepau and Sakopo Lolohea on Thursday night, 31st May, 2007, and decided to change the constitution of the TRFU, select their own committee, and then entered the TRFU office to hold a so-called board meeting on Friday, June 1, 2007.

This so-called meeting was not called by the CEO, Saia Fonua or the TRFU 's Board.  Rather it was a meeting of the those mentioned above.

When the so-called self-appointed committee arrived at the TRFU office on Friday midday, they assembled in the front office, where they were told by a current board member, that they were not welcomed in the TRU office, and that their actions were unconstitutional. The police were called, and they disassembled the meeting.

According to Dr. Tu'i Uata, "It's obvious that what we are doing as a board, as mandated by those who elected us last year in the Annual General Meeting, (formally called by the then CEO, Sakopo Lolohea and the previous board of directors,) is to investigate what has happened to the funding provided to TRFU by the IRB, and provide them with a full report."

The board realized immediately that the accounting books since 2003 had never been audited; thus, the board immediately issued a demand that they must go back to 2003 and audit every year to date as the basis of the report to the rugby community in Tonga.

In the 2003 audit, the auditor revealed to the board that a member of the board from the old regime was massaging the books before he (the auditor) could audit them. It was discovered through further investigations by the board that the individual, whilst a member of the board, was also being paid for fixing the books, proving to be an absolute conflict of interest. The 2003 audit further revealed that approximately  $300,000.00 of TRFU funds were unaccounted expenses in 2003 alone.

The board then demanded that an accounting system/software be implemented immediately, and that a chartered accountant be hired to input all receipts  into the system as the basis of further investigation.

 It was obvious as the board attempted to fully investigate and audit the financial books; the pattern exemplified from former board members was to stop this endeavor, which was again demonstrated on the Friday staged coup - from the same group..

This is not the first attempt by Sione Taumoepeau, Noble Nuku, Noble Tu'ipelehake, Noble Tu'ivakano, along with Sakopo Lolohea in this attempted coup to overthrow the current board, in order to stop the investigation.

In one of their previous unlawful meetings, they chose to amend the Tonga Rugby Union Constitution. And it was with that unconstitutionally amended Constitution that this board attempted to stage their coup in the office.

The TRFU lawyer, Clive Edwards, has advised that legal actions would be pursued against members of the unlawful meeting; and that they would be charged with trespassing, breaking and entering, and unlawful assembly. Furthermore, former members of the board will be demanded by law to pay back sums of money that is either unaccounted for, or was unjustly allocated. In the former CEO's financial report, more than $400,000 of funding cannot be accounted for. Other former members are being asked to pay back tens of thousands of dollars misallocated by former CEO, Sakopo Lolohea, whom is believed to be the "behind the scene ghost" in this whole scam.

Dr. Tu'i Uata told Tonga Star that the current board felt compassion for the 'Ikale Tahi boys whom are in Australia waiting their PNC match against Japan on Saturday, 2nd of June. This same group of people made a similar attempt to disrupt operations the day before the Repechage game of Tonga against Korea.  They did the same thing the day before the first PRC match this year, which proves the point that they are desperately trying to hinder the investigation process, which has already proven the misallocation of hundreds of thousands of dollars.  And despite all this negative maneuvering from the opposition, the rugby boys have proved them wrong, coming out victorious, time and time again.

Chairman of the Board, Sangster Saulala said, "It's a pity that this attempted coup is lead by the ministers ad nobles of the government, as well as former board members. The country is still trying to salvage the damages caused last year on 16/11. And here they are again, causing chaos and anger to the people. I want to assure everyone, the Board of Directors will stand firm in our position. I was selected by the the rugby clubs in Tonga. And I can't relinquish my stance because I and everyone else on the board is fighting for the players, rugby clubs and the people of Tonga."

"We wish the boys in Australia a great game tomorrow. And they know that this board is fighting for them, and their future," Sangster Saulala finished.