Tomasi Sauqaqa

{{Short description|Fijian politician}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}

Tomasi Namua Sauqaqa is a former Fijian politician.

In the election held in September 2001, he won the Ba West Fijian Communal Constituency{{cite web |url=http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/f/fiji/fiji20012.txt |title=REPUBLIC OF THE FIJI ISLANDS: PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS OF 25 AUGUST TO 1 SEPTEMBER 2001 |website=psephos.adam-carr.net}} for Interim Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase's party, the Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua (SDL).{{cite book |last1=Frenḳel |first1=Yehonatan Shimʻon |last2=Fraenkel |first2=Jon |last3=Firth |first3=Stewart |title=From election to coup in Fiji: the 2006 campaign and its aftermath |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9_todaH6TmcC&pg=PA236 |year=2007 |publisher=ANU E Press |isbn=978-0-7315-3812-6 |page=236}} He was subsequently appointed Assistant Minister for Health. In this capacity, he assisted the Minister for Health, Solomone Naivalu. In September 2004 the Auditor-General found that he had abused public funds set aside for emergency overseas medical treatment to fund his own treatment in Australia.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/150910/fiji-government-minister-abusing-public-funds-says-auditor-general |title=Fiji Government Minister abusing public funds says auditor general |publisher=RNZ |date=28 September 2004 |access-date=16 April 2023}}{{cite news |title=Minister misuses emergency fund |work=Fiji Times |page=1 |date=28 September 2004 |via=EBSCOHost}}

The Fiji Village news service announced on 21 March 2006 that the SDL had decided not to nominate Sauqaqa for another Parliamentary term. He therefore retired at the 2006 election, and was succeeded by Ratu Meli Saukuru.

In May 2006 he was alleged to have accepted bribes from young women seeking places at the Fiji School of Nursing.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/161869/fiji-assistant-minister-implicated-in-nursing-school-fee-scam |title=Fiji assistant minister implicated in nursing school fee scam |publisher=RNZ |date=4 May 2006 |access-date=16 April 2023}}{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/166092/fiji-auditor-general%27s-report-alleges-high-level-corruption |title=Fiji auditor-general's report alleges high level corruption |publisher=RNZ |date=15 November 2006 |access-date=16 April 2023}} He was arrested on related charges in April 2008.{{cite news |title=Priest at centre of job scam |publisher=Fiji Times |date=8 January 2009 |via=EBSCOHost |quote=A group of police detectives from Labasa arrested the former assistant cabinet minister from his Lautoka home in April last year.}}