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PAGO PAGO, American Samoa (December 31, 1998 - PACNEWS)---The United States Secretary of the Interior has denied a request by the American Samoa House of Representatives to appoint an independent attorney to prosecute government officials implicated in the sale of government vehicles and spare parts last year.

The request was based on findings by the controversial House Investigative Committee that several senior government officials, including Governor Tauese Sunia, abused their authority or gained personally from the unauthorized sale.

The Interior Department cited four reasons for turning down the Representatives' request for a special prosecutor. First, that an Office of Independent Counsel already existed. It was established by former Governor Aifili Lutali in the wake of the misappropriation of hurricane relief funds for farmers in 1991 after Hurricane Val.

Second, that local leaders have a far better sense in knowing who would be the best candidate to...

By Flor B. Pamintuan

TINIAN, Northern Mariana Islands (December 30, 1998 - Saipan Tribune)---The operator of the Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino is facing another lawsuit for failure to pay invoices amounting to $237,106.90 despite repeated demands.

The complaint was filed yesterday by FPA Pacific Corp., a corporation organized and existing in Tinian, against Hongkong Entertainment (Overseas) Investment, Ltd.

According to the complaint, beginning in 1998, FPA supplied construction materials, equipment and labor to Tinian Dynasty pursuant to a verbal agreement that the invoices would be paid in full within 30 days.

The agreement also provides that Tinian Dynasty would pay 1.5 percent interest per month and attorney fees incurred in the collection of any unpaid balance.

FPA claimed it supplied all materials, equipment used and labor requested by Tinian Dynasty and FPA performed its obligations under its verbal agreement with the establishment....

NOUMEA, New Caledonia (January 1, 1999 - Radio Australia)---The French Ministry of Finance has announced the rate of the Euro against the currency in France's three Pacific territories -- New Caledonia, French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna.

One thousand Pacific francs will buy 8.38 Euros.

The Euro to French franc rate was set at one to 6.55.

Under the Maastricht Treaty, which set out the responsibilities of the European Union and its component states, the European Central Bank was expressly left out of the financial administration of the French Pacific territories.

By Neville Choi

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (January 1, 1999 - The Independent)---A total of K 11.3 million in checks is ready to be paid out to 692 retrenched public servants in line with the public service retrenchment plan.

However, according to Public Service Minister Peter Peipul, the 692 public servants are not among those currently employed within the public service.

The 692 officers were retrenched in the last two years, but there were no funds to pay them out until now.

Mr. Peipul said yesterday that the funds were made available by the Department of Finance, but as to exactly from where the money was drawn, he didn’t say.

One government official revealed that the K 65 million initially budgeted specifically for the retrenchment exercise was to be taken out of the US$ 120 million loan from a European loan syndicate, but to date the loan is still unavailable for use.

In anticipation of the loan drawdown the government recently "...