17 Apr 2004

Chairman and one director of Samoa's state-owned telephone company resign

9:42 am on 17 April 2004

The chairman of Samoa's state-owned telephone company, Samoa-Tel, has resigned.

Samoa's state television service says Murray Drake's resignation has been accepted and he has been replaced by the Minister of Communications and Postal Services, Palusalue Fa'apo the Second

One of the directors, businessman Maposua Rudolf Keli has also resigned and has been replaced by an unnamed accountant who will head the board's audit committee.

One of our correspondents say no reasons have been given for the resignations but they follow well publicized struggles between the company management, private housing owned by the chairman being used by expatriate staff and complaints about locals being sidelined while expatriates were hired for managerial positions.