Pacific

American Samoa Auditors looks for public help in audit of Development Bank

15:30 pm on 22 June 2004

American Samoa's Audit Office wants the public's help to complete its current audit of Development Bank loans.

The Territorial Auditor, George Webster, says they need citizens who completed loan applications which were never funded to provide information to the TAO.

Mr Webster says when the bank was asked to provide files of loan applications the bank was not able to do so.

The Territorial Auditor says the biggest complaint he's received is from people who said they filed applications several years ago and are still waiting for loans.

He is asking members of the public who believe their loan applications have been mishandled to provide details to the Audit Office so that TAO can review the circumstances to assess the merits of the allegation.

Mr Webster says the Development Bank audit will take a long time and he anticipates that TAO will issue interim findings instead of waiting till the full audit has been completed.