Page 6 - IB February 2024

Briefs Briefs
including former national squash champion Justin Ho, are
facing charges for the unlawful importation and unlawful
American Samoa possession of illicit drugs, and the possession of property
American Samoa’s government has passed a bill that will suspected of being proceeds of crime, relating to the
prohibit the use of polystyrene foam containers, with fines of importation and transportation of the illicit substances. The
up to US$1000 for its importation, sale, and use. In 2019, a estimated street value of the haul is more than FJ$2 billion
bill was drafted to outlaw all styrofoam products but it failed (US$0.89 billion). Assistant Police Commissioner, Mesake
to gain tractio n. Importers and sellers of polystyrene foam Waqa, confirmed “Fiji was being used as a transit point
products will have six months to sell any stock. Exempted from and that the methamphetamine was destined for a foreign
the proposed ban are imported pre-packed food and trays used market.” Fiji police are working with foreign counterparts,
for raw meat, poultry, fish, or frozen food. including the Australian Federal Police and the Pacific
Transnational Crime and Coordination Centre, and are
expecting to make more arrests.

Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has proposed the
pre-screening of Chinese travellers to the Northern Marianas French Polynesia
as part of a transition plan leading to the eventual termination The only surviving and oldest daily newspaper in French
of the visa waiver programme for the China market. The Polynesia, La Dépêche de Tahiti, is reported to have collapsed
proposed system would require travellers from China to obtain again. The five remaining employees signed their letters of
electronic travel authorisation to travel to the CNMI prior to dismissal last month, Tahiti Nui Television reported. The daily
departure. The proposed new programme is set to take effect was already in dire straits in April 2022, when it was wound
on September 30. up by a Trade Tribunal ruling, but was taken over by Naos
company, headed by local businessman Patrice Colombani
and revived with a skeleton staff of five employees, mostly
working on its online version. Plans to later re-develop the
Cook Islands print version never eventuated.
Cook Islands Deputy Prime Minister, Robert Tapaitau, is out of
parliament after he and two senior government officials were
found guilty of corruption offences, with a by-election to be
held within 60 days. The two senior government officials are Guam
former National Environment Service Director, Nga Puna, and The US Attorney’s Office for Guam and the Northern Marianas
his wife and former Secretary of Infrastructure, Diane Charlie- has vowed to continue clamping down on fraudulent
Puna. The trio were accused of taking public funds amounting operations involving cryptocurrency. “Cryptocurrencies are
to NZ$70,000 (US$43,074.67) between April 2019 and March often used to facilitate fraudulent activity,” Shawn Anderson,
2021. In his ruling, CJ Keane said: “I have found each District Attorney for Guam and the CNMI said, following the
defendant guilty of all or most of the offences with which they sentencing of a man who was convicted of cryptocurrency
are charged and have convicted them of those offences.” In a fraud that yielded $5.5 million in cash stolen from “bitcoin
written statement, Prime Minister Mark Brown’s Office said the investors” in Guam. “These financial assets do not guarantee
“government acknowledges the Court’s decision and will take anonymity, as generally perceived by criminals. Our office
time to study the 100-page plus document, before commenting will continue to target unlicensed money transmitting, money
further.” The trio are due to be sentenced in March. laundering, and any other unlawful transactions associated
with cryptocurrency,” Anderson said.

Federated States of Micronesia
Voters in the Federated States of Micronesia will go to the Kiribati
polls on February 29 to decide on the two-year representative The Kiribati Government is gearing up on plans to establish
from the state of Kosrae, and the two-year representative new hospitals to deliver on its promise of affordable and
from congressional district one in the state of Chuuk, the area accessible primary and secondary healthcare services. The
known as the Mortlock Islands. The Kaselehlie Press reported construction of the new Betio hospital is making steady
nine candidates filed their petitions for the state of Chuuk, and progress, the Government said. The first phase of the
four candidates from the state of Kosrae are also vying for a project is co-funded by the governments of New Zealand and
seat in the Congress of the FSM. The special election is due to Japan, while the second phase is fully funded by the Asian
the passing of former Senators, Paliknoa Welly and Florencio Development Bank. The Government has also committed
Harper. to building a new hospital at Tabwakea village on Kiritimati
Island within this year.

Fiji
Thirteen Fijian people have been charged in relation to the
seizure of almost five tonnes of methamphetamine. The 13, Marshall Islands
Gigantic waves swamped parts of a key US military facility

6 Islands Business, February 2024