Sala Fata Pinati Explained

Sala Fata Pinati
Office3:Minister of Tourism
Primeminister3:Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi
Term Start3:30 June 2016
Term End3:24 May 2021
Predecessor3:Lautafi Fio Selafi Purcell
Successor3:Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa
Office4:Minister of Police
Term Start4:21 March 2011
Term End4:25 November 2016
Predecessor4:Toleafoa Apulu Faafisi
Successor4:Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi
Office5:Minister of Prisons
Term Start5:21 March 2011
Term End5:30 June 2016
Predecessor5:Toleafoa Apulu Faafisi
Successor5:Tialavea Tionisio Hunt
Constituency Mp10:Sagaga No. 3
Parliament10:Samoa
Term Start10:9 April 2021
Predecessor10:None (seat created)
Constituency Mp11:Gagaemauga No. 1
Parliament11:Samoa
Term Start11:31 March 2006
Term End11:9 April 2021
Predecessor11:Tuala Ainiu Iusitino
Successor11:Tuala Iosefo Ponifasio
Party:Human Rights Protection Party

Sala Fata Pinati is a Samoan politician and former Cabinet Minister. He is a member of the Human Rights Protection Party.

Career

Pinati was previously a member of the board of the Development Bank of Samoa.[1] He was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Samoa at the 2006 Samoan general election, and appointed Associate Minister of Agriculture. In 2007, he became Associate Minister of Education, and then from 2008 - 2010 he served as Associate Minister of Finance. Following the 2011 election he was prosecuted for bribery, but the charge was later dropped.[2] In March 2011 he was appointed to Cabinet as Minister of Police and Prisons.[3] During this term he separated management of prisons from the police, establishing an independent Samoa Prisons and Corrections Services.[4]

He was re-elected at the 2016 election,[5] and retained his position as Minister of Police and Prisons.[6] [7] Following the election, he was again prosecuted for bribery,[8] but the charge was again withdrawn.[9] A Cabinet reshuffle in June 2016 saw him lose his Prisons portfolio to Tialavea Tionisio Hunt, instead becoming Minister of Tourism and the Public Trust Office.[10] A further reshuffle in November 2016 saw him lose his Police portfolio to Prime Minister Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi and pick up responsibility for the Audit Office and Bureau of Statistics.[11]

He ran in the newly created Sagaga No. 3 electorate at the 2021 election and was elected.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Honourable Sala Fata Pinati . Government of Samoa . 23 November 2020.
  2. Web site: Bribery claim against Samoa police minister dropped . . 12 May 2011 . 23 November 2020.
  3. Web site: Former opposition leader in Samoa joins new ruling party cabinet . . 21 March 2011 . 23 November 2020.
  4. Web site: Samoa plans to separate police and prison functions . . 28 August 2012 . 23 November 2020.
  5. Web site: Doing what needs to be done . Samoa Observer . Diedre Fanene . 7 March 2016 . 23 November 2020.
  6. Web site: Many New Faces in Samoa Cabinet . Talanei . 22 March 2016 . 20 November 2020.
  7. Web site: Former Samoa deputy PM left out of cabinet . . 18 March 2016 . 20 November 2020.
  8. Web site: Several face election bribery charges in Samoa . . 13 April 2016 . 23 November 2020.
  9. Web site: Charges against Samoa cabinet minister dropped . . 12 July 2016 . 23 November 2020.
  10. Web site: Samoa PM reshuffles his cabinet . . 30 June 2016 . 23 November 2020.
  11. Web site: Samoa PM takes over police portfolio . . 25 November 2016 . 23 November 2020.