04-19-2011, 03:27 PM
![[Image: st.jpg]](http://jeffreybert.fileave.com/st.jpg)
Former Chair of Tonga Rugby and now MP-Sangstar Saulala.
Allegations of “costly” management have been levelled against the interim Tonga Rugby Union Board and its efforts towards the Rugby World Cup, but Finance Minister Sunia Fili says there will be no immediate changes.
“According to the law, there really isn’t anything I could do,” said Finance Minister Sunia Fili.
“I think we are better off with the current board, as of yet they have no issues with misuse of finances,” said Finance Minister Sunia Fili, who is also Tonga’s Minister for the Rugby World Cup.
“At the same time, I think the former (Saulala) board is more dangerous, and we are still awaiting acquittals for hundreds of thousands still unaccounted while they were in office,” he said.
Politics involving the leadership of Tonga rugby has more or less crippled development of the sport- involving the controversial Sangstar Saulala board.
Serious violations of the Rugby Union Constitution and massive alleged misappropriation of hundreds of thousands of dollars were levelled against the Saulala administration.
Five million dollars of rugby aid from the International Rugby Board, along with development funds, are still unaccounted for.
It prompted IRB to call for government intervention, resulting in the enactment of the Tonga Rugby Union Authority- otherwise Tonga would not be able to partake in this year’s World Cup and all other IRB competitions.
But recently a petition by Saulala and his supporters demanded that Cabinet replace CEO/Chair Bob Tuckey with Saulala.
It alleges that Tuckey is paid “$300,000” for his chairmanship, who is also CEO, along with ongoing accommodation at the Dateline Hotel- out of public funds, something the petitioners called “costly to taxpayers.”
It formed part of the basis for suggesting the return of Saulala and other local officials, as they wouldn’t be as much a financial burden on the country.
Finance Minister Fili confirmed that Tuckey gets paid about “two hundred thousand Australian” by the Tongan government.
“So I think that allegation is right, if converted to Tongan pa’anga,” said Hon. Fili.
He said Tuckey’s contract was signed by the previous Sevele administration, along with the new legislation establishing the current interim board.
He is wary that the current board’s efforts are hammered by the national teams’ string of defeats.
“I have told them that the best of support will come with positive, encouraging results,” said Fili, “and the defeats seem to suggest to the public that we would not bring out the best at the World Cup.”
Tonga’s ‘Ikale Tahi faces off the New Zealand All Blacks in the opening game of the World Cup.
Fili says the rates granted Tuckey is the ‘going rate’ for “Consultants” in Tonga.
“And we also have Tongan consultants abroad operating on more or less the same rates,” he said.
1) Ko fee e pa'anga ne 'oange he 'osi 'ae ipu 'a mamani 2007?