Cook Islands: Jailed former deputy PM awarded project manager role for hostel renovation
Photo:
RNZ Pacific / Lydia Lewis
By
Talaia Mika
, Cook Islands News
The decision to appoint a
convicted
former Member of Parliament, Robert Tapaitau, as project manager for the recent renovations of the Tongareva (Penrhyn) hostel has raised questions, especially given his status as an inmate at Arorangi Prison.
The appointment has sparked concerns in some circles, including a resident who did not want to be named but questioned the decision.
Cook Islands News
understands that the hostel's interim committee of management is under the leadership of current MP Tongareva Sarakura Tapaitau, wife of the former MP Robert Tapaitau.
Willie John, a key community leader and committee member for the project, confirmed to
Cook Islands News
that Tapaitau was brought in to oversee the renovation works, which were completed just ahead of Te Maeva Nui celebrations.
The work focused on improving key facilities such as the kitchen, showers, and toilets to meet health and nutrition standards.
"We asked the government for him to come and help, but we try not to make publicity of him (as it) might affect his terms of release at some later date," John said.
"We just want to call him a project manager without any name."
John said the community of Penrhyn had met and approved Tapaitau to take on the role.
"We had a meeting (in Penrhyn) and they approved of him. Yeah, the people approve that he be the project manager."
He explained that Tapaitau, who was sentenced to jail for corruption-related offences in 2024, was allowed to manage the project daily.
"Well, every day he goes back. He works from 8 (am) to 4 (pm), and then he goes back to jail, prison. About 8 weeks, 8 to 10 weeks," John said.
The Corrections Services was contacted for a comment regarding Tapaitau's work scheme from prison.
Papa Willie John at the Tongareva Hostel in Rarotonga.
Photo:
Cook Islands News / Teitimoana Tairi
Asked if this was part of an official work scheme for inmates, John replied: "Yeah. It must be. I'm not sure."
John further explained the nature of Tapaitau's involvement: "The supervision and making sure that all the repair work should conform to, you know, what is desired. Those areas that require health, you know, nutrition standards, that's really the part we focused on... Like toilet facilities, a shower, kitchen."
When asked why someone else wasn't considered for the role instead of a serving prisoner, John said the former MP's experience was a major factor.
"Well, we believe that he was involved with building (the hostel). That's why we didn't want anybody else," he said.
"There may be, but the meeting didn't suggest any other person. That's why we approved that he be the project manager."
Tina Browne, legal advisor for the Tongareva committee and leader of the Opposition, said she was aware that Tapaitau had taken part in the renovations but could not confirm whether proper processes were followed in awarding him the role.
"The brief answer to that is I'm not sure, because I don't know what the process was in contracting him, other than the fact that I was aware that he was the one who was doing the renovations for the hostel," Browne said.
"But I'm not quite sure what process was undertaken by the committee, by Willie. You'll have to ask him that question."
The Penrhyn hostel, located in Tupapa, serves as temporary accommodation for Tongareva students and visitors to Rarotonga. The recently completed upgrades were intended to improve living conditions and ensure the hostel was ready to host the Penrhyn Te Maeva Nui team.
According to an earlier report, community leaders and hostel caretakers had welcomed the completed renovations in time for the national celebrations.
The work included repainting, cleaning, and refurbishing internal spaces, with the support of Penrhyn's Rarotonga-based community group.
When asked whether any formal oversight or government approval had been obtained for Tapaitau's work, John said: "We got approval from the Corrective Services."
The Ministry of Corrective Services and other responsible authorities have not yet publicly confirmed if Tapaitau's release for the project was officially part of a rehabilitation or work release scheme.
The former MP was convicted and sentenced to prison to serve two-year-and-nine-months for three counts of cheque fraud.
Last year, the Ministry of Corrective Services has said that Tapaitau, was on a work scheme programme, and was hired by his family "to do work at home".
Tapaitau, the former minister for Infrastructure Cook Islands (ICI) and National Environment Service (NES), was sentenced alongside former NES director Nga Puna and his wife and former ICI secretary Diane Charlie-Puna. Puna was sentenced to five years in prison while Charlie-Puna received an 18-month prison term. The trio were accused of taking public funds amounting to $70,000 between April 2019 and March 2021.
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