2 Oct 2006

Samoa PM refuses English answer to media question

2:58 pm on 2 October 2006

Samoa's Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele, has rejected a reporter's request for an English version of a media statement, saying it wasn't his duty to do translations.

A local television reporter asked the Prime Minister to repeat what he had said for the benefit of that station's English-speaking audience.

Tuilaepa stopped giving media conferences in English in the early 90s when he noticed that all except one of the reporters present were Samoans fluent in the language.

He was then the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.