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Former Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pōhiva’s media adviser Lōpeti Senituli said today Hon. Pōhiva told him to prepare his letter of resignation before he was sent to New Zealand for treatment for the last time.
But he said that when the late premier asked him again about resigning while he was in intensive care, he told him he should not make such a decision when he was dying.
Senituli said the then Minister of Police, Māteni Tapueluelu, had asked the Acting Attorney General `Āminiasi Kefu for advice on what procedure Hon. Pōhiva should take if he wanted to resign as Prime Minister.
Kefu told Kaniva News Hon. Tapueluelu had asked him as Minister of Police to advise him on the legal procedure if Hon. Pōhiva resigned as Prime Minister but held on to his Parliamentary seat.
He said he had no basis for questioning why the Police Minster wanted the advice.
“As far as I understood and remembered, the Prime Minister was in the Vaiola hospital at the time and he was sick,” Kefu said.
“I thought the Prime Minister needed to understand the laws for resignation and what to do after he resigned and the procedure for electing a new Prime Minister so the transfer of premiership and its roles could be made smoothly and peacefully.
That legal advice was given in writing to Hon. Tapueluelu on April 29 last year.
He said the Minister told him he had given his legal advice to the Prime Minister.
Senituli said Hon. Pohiva asked him for his advice in early 2019 on how he would resign from the premiership.
“I told him it was best for him to resign from premiership and also as MP at the same time,” he said.
Senituli said that Hon. Pohiva had asked him again about a resignation letter while he was in intensive care.
“However, I told him we had already crossed that bridge,” he said.
“I told him he should have resigned while he was in good condition.
“He was now dying and he should not make such a serious and historical decision while he was in that state.
“He told me to go and think about it and come and talk to him again.
“When I returned and entered the ICU he noticed I did not carry in my hands any document and than he asked me: ‘Where is the resignation letter?’
“I gave him the same answer. He was silent for some minutes before telling me to ask the nurse for a pen and paper and I wrote down his last words for the nation. That script was written on his grave at Telekava.”
The main points
- Former Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva’s media adviser Lopeti Senituli said today Hon. Pohiva told him to prepare his letter of resignation before he was sent to New Zealand for treatment for the last time.
- Senituli denied claims by MP Mateni Tapueluelu that the late Prime Minister had asked him for a letter of resignation while he was in hospital.
